Sleep Is for the Weak
by King in Yellow
Summary: Temporary assignment to the night shift means Judy and Nick are awake when Zootopia becomes the city that won't awaken. Fall asleep, and you stay asleep. Animals fleeing the city overwhelm the police. The hospitals and fire departments are understaffed. Everyone is tired, but must stay awake, and all the coffee in the world isn't enough when the crimes start. Who Do You Trust?
1. The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters

Boilerplate Disclaimer: The various characters from the movie Zootopia are all owned by Disney the great and powerful. Any and all registered trade names property of their respective owners. Cheap shots at celebrities constitute fair usage.

Title of the story is from a song by The Dreadnoughts. Chapter title comes from a print by the Spanish artist Goya. Or rather, it represents the common English translation of the original title, _El sueño de la razón produce monstruos. _

**The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters**

The evening news programs begin with the 'important' news of the day – or at least the most sensational. Weather follows, and sports comes next. The end of the broadcast contains reviews of movies and concerts, animal interest stories, and the occasional odd news story. One Zootopia station carried a twenty second report of a wife calling 9-1-1 when she could not wake her husband up, even after dousing him with ice water. When an ambulance arrived at their home to transport him to the hospital they found an awake and very angry husband demanding to know why he was soaked with cold water. The story could easily have been forgotten by everyone who saw it.

* * *

"Anything else you need?" the teen weasel asked as she served the trio coffee and cannoli.

"We're fine for now," Judy assured her. "Thanks, Gina."

The teen hesitated before leaving, and Nick feared she was going to ask about Ernie. The fox had told the weasel he should decide between Gina and Iris. Ernie had said he liked them both, and he should be able to go out with either. Nick agreed with the young police officer in principle – he should feel free to date different females if he wished. But Nick felt it placed the weasel in dangerous position, he needed to face the possibility of Iris and/or Gina wanting him to decide between them. And while Nick could not be certain he suspected Ernie might have gone out with Cheryl, the skunk with a celebrity fixation. "I, uh, Ernie said he'll have to work on Solstice," Gina said. Nick heard, _"Is he choosing Iris over me?"_

"He probably will. New officers usually get stuck working days experienced officers want off."

Gina nodded in relief, "I'll be back later if you need refills," and left.

Nick looked at Duke, "You called us. Just needing a cannoli fix or have something to say?"

Duke glanced around nervously, to make sure no one was in range to hear anything. Fortunately Tony didn't like Duke being in the shop and always stuck him in the back. If Nick and Judy came in alone Tony had them sit by the front window to show off the detectives. "I, ah... I wants to tank ya for da... Dat Joe stuff."

"No problem."

The weasel licked his lips nervously, "I hoid somethin'... No detailing or nuthin', but somethin' big comin' down soon, real big."

"Who told you?" asked Judy

"Duke usually doesn't give out names," Nick reminded her. He looked back at the weasel, "Where'd you hear it? Solid?"

"Gots asked to join. But I sez I iz on problemation and tries to keep me nose clean. I got dese two dicks breathin' down me neck an' all."

"You called us for that?" Judy asked in disbelief. "That's nothing."

"He said he wanted to say thanks," Nick reminded her. "He doesn't like us enough to call us just for cannoli."

"Dere is a little more," continued the weasel. "The unanimous animal who spoke wit' me has not got da smarts ta be da boss. He owes me for some insistence I gave him in de past. He says dat iz why he made me da offer. Anyways, he asks if dere iz anyding I want in Zootopia when da day comes.' Anyding in de city' iz his offer."

"Anything? How... It's big, too big to believe. No clue on what was supposed to happen?"

"Not after I gives me polite 'tanks, but no tanks'. But den he starts askin' questions about fences an' what pays da most. Asks about kidnappin' an'–"

"Kidnapping?"

"Yeah, asks if da payoff iz good. I tells 'im to steer clear. Youse gots yourself a witness or a murder warrant. An' he laughs and says no one gets seen. So den I reminds him dat collecting ransom iz a pain in da ass. Too many chances of da whole ting goin' sout. I tells him it iz jus' too risky."

"Got that right," agreed Nick. "Tracking chips in with the money, helicopter surveillance, Good crime to to avoid."

"So, den he starts askin' me about fences... Not dat I knows any. But, if I did knows any, what kind a percentage should he expects for art, or jewels, or antiques, or–"

The fox let out a low whistle, "Sounds like he really did mean anything."

"Dat was what he says."

"And, of course, you told him art was worthless."

"I iz not stupid."

"Wait," protested Judy, "Art isn't worthless. A couple months ago some painting sold for, like, six million credits."

"But it is totally identifiable," Nick reminded her. "It is unique. A fence can't offer it for sale, it is too obviously stolen. So, unless you know one buyer who wants it, or are hired to steal that painting, a fence won't touch it. It screams arrest me." He turned back to Duke, "Pretty much the same for things like antiques and collectibles. A fence might give you... What? Fifteen percent of the value?"

"If dat much. Dey can melts down gold and silver, but it loses da value of da finished jewlery. Ya might gets half da value ov da metal, but jewels iz a crap shoot."

"Insurance companies keep records to enable them to identify the more valuable jewels. Like paintings, each is unique," Nick explained to Judy.

"Eggs-ackley," nodded Duke. "I tells 'im to sticks wit cash, he will not needs no fence and will gets all da profits."

Judy swallowed a bite of canolli and voiced her opinion. "Duke has to be lying."

"I iz not–"

"Duke has no reason to lie," Nick told his partner. "I believe he's telling us what he heard. We can ask the question if what he heard was true, but there is no reason to doubt Duke's honesty."

"But it makes no sense! Robbers getting ready to steal anything they want in the city? There're the police. Art museums have guards. Jewelry stores have security systems. Banks have vaults. What Duke is saying is–"

"What someone told Duke," Nick reminded her.

"What someone told Duke is simply impossible."

The weasel shrugged, "No fur off me butt if youse does not believes me. I hoid somethin' and I thoughts youse mights wants to hear it too."

"I believe you heard it," Nick concurred. "Like Judy says, though, it seems a bit hard to believe. But I appreciate you offering us the warning. You really didn't hear anything on how it is supposed to happen?"

"Not a woid."

From the corner of his eye Nick saw Gina approaching with a coffee pot to see if they needed refills. The fox adopted a rough tone, "Okay, Weaselton, you don't seem in violation of your probation – this week. Keep your pointy nose clean."

"Up yours, Wilde," sneered the weasel.

"I, uh, can come back later," Gina offered, and started to back away.

"No need," Nick told her and gestured at his cup, "half a cup will do me."

"Could you warm mine, please?" requested Judy.

"Anudder cup, if you woulds not mind," asked Duke politely, tearing open a sugar packet and dumping it into his empty cup.

Judy giggled slightly as the teen left. "You two sounded like you were going to fight, and then you got all nice. She doesn't know what was going on."

"None of us do," Nick reminded her. "None of us do."

* * *

The twenty second story of a wife having trouble waking her husband could have been forgotten. It wasn't completely. Two weeks later animals in a three block area would not awaken. Not all animals were asleep. Animals who were awake prior to six-thirty remained awake. Those animals with alarms set between six-thirty and seven-thirty did not awaken. Concerned husbands and wives called for ambulances. Any animals being transported to hospitals woke up after the ambulance had transported them a block or two. Animals who lived alone woke to the sound of alarm clocks a few minutes after seven-thirty, and wondered how they had slept so late.

It was a sensational story on the news for three days.

Some sort of sleeping gas was the most common theory, although animals who were awake before the trouble started did not feel sleepy and remained awake. Perhaps they were immune to the gas. Scientists found no evidence of gas. Blood samples were taken from animals who had been awake, and animals who had been asleep. They were questioned about things they had eaten or drank. No evidence emerged for anything. With no serious theories to explain the phenomenon some decided to label it mass hysteria. Those who felt no need for facts spun conspiracy theories. Something had happened. No one knew what. And what, on the surface, appeared to be the very precise timing of the phenomenon suggested something deliberate rather than accidental.

It meant nothing at the time, but when the media outlets contacted specialists in sleep disorders or other research connected with sleep for expert interviews on the subject of sleep they usually found doctors eager to go on camera or be interviewed for radio or newspapers – it meant publicity for their clinics, universities, or themselves. An exception to the was Perfect Rest Institute. The institute claimed they were too busy with research to permit interviews, and with other clinics eager for publicity the media thought nothing of one business turning them down.

* * *

More than a week later, as the sleep story died down, the news of Nick and Judy's wedding hit the media. Exactly how it made the media was not clear. The friends and family who knew they had gotten married also knew Judy and Nick didn't want it publicized. Perhaps one of their friends made a mistake, and mentioned it to someone who felt a need to spread the news. Perhaps it was some clerk in the Bureau of Public Records who became aware of the fact while filing their marriage certificate. However it happened, the news spread. As they returned to the First from dropping evidence off for analysis they were attacked by a pack of reporters.

"Mrs. Wilde! A comment–"

"This is Judy Hopps," Nick reminded them.

"She kept her name? Ms Hopps can you tell our listeners why–"

"Nick and I are on the police force, and we're on duty. We can't talk now."

"When?" "Can you give us an interview?" "Just a comment, please!" "Where did you get married?"

"Judy and I have arrested reporters in the past for interfering with officers in the performance of their duty. You can check on-line."

The threat didn't stop the pack of reporters. The fox and rabbit ignored the shouted questions and pushed open the doors to the First. Three determined reporters followed them into the building. Officer McHorn came to their rescue, inserting himself between the detectives and the reporters and demanding, "What's your business here at the First? Who do you need to see?"

The reporters looked at the vast expanse of police officer and decided to wait outside and ambush Nick and Judy when they left at the end of the day.

Judy and Nick expected the reporters to wait. "Ideas for how to get out of here unseen?" asked Judy.

"Oh, half a dozen," Nick assured her. "I'm a bit more concerned about our beloved Captain's response. He told us to keep it quiet so he could pretend he... Do you think he knew?"

"Probably."

"Right decent of him not to mention it."

"While I am delighted to hear you say something nice about the captain, he did say he wanted to pretend he didn't know because of regulations."

"True... Kind of impossible for him to pretend now, isn't it?"

"Yes, and I'm kind of worried about what he'll say."

"You and me both, fluff-butt."

The door to Alces office was closed when the couple entered the bullpen.

Alces door was open the next morning, and Clawhauser had warned them, when they entered, that they were expected.

"Close the door behind you," the moose directed. "I told the two of you that regulations say I can't have a married couple as partners. Got to separate you–"

"But–" Judy tried to protest.

"Quiet. Wilde?"

"Yes?"

"Rumor is your friends in high places are working to change the regulation. Until it happens I'm taking you off day shift. Starting Monday you'll report for night duty. Expect to stay there until the regulation changes. Got a problem?"

"Not that you'd listen to."

"You're learning. Hopps?"

"Yes," Judy answered in a sullen tone.

"You're disruptive. Reporters wanting to question you were all over the place yesterday, getting in the way of officers. Can't have that. Starting Monday I'm assigning you to night duty for the indefinite future It should keep the news buzzards away."

"Really? I... Thanks."

"Don't mention it. I mean that, really. Don't mention it."

They arrested another reporter who went under the crime scene tape to try and get an interview that morning. It kept the remainder of the reporters on the other side of the police tape for the rest of that day.

"Think we could string the tape around your place tonight?"

"_Our_ place, Nick. _Our_ place. I think there're probably all kinds of rules against that."

"And you like to follow the rules."

"It makes life easier."

"Except that one where your mom and dad told you to avoid foxes."

Judy sighed, "It would have made life easier," then turned to him and grinned, "but not nearly as much fun."

Mrs Riverbank told them reporters had been there during the day. Mr. Huggins had talked with them. He was the animal who had complained about a loud party in Judy's apartment a year earlier, so they felt slightly nervous about what he had said.

The evening desk sergeant was on duty when Judy and Nick arrived Monday evening, but Ben Clawhauser was chatting with her and made introductions. The night-shift captain was an old wolf, Captain Broadhead. He was in charge of both uniformed officers and the detectives on the night shift. Nick, unusually good at reading character – an important skill for a hustler – found the wolf a difficult read. Nick definitely detected a crusty exterior to the captain, but thought he sensed a hidden sense of humor. He hoped he sensed a hidden sense of humor. It would be better to assume the crusty went all the way to the bone for the time being.

"Hopps? Wilde?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Looking at your files. You're both too recent to the force to be detectives. Alces said he was sending you down to help train new detectives for the night shift. Three problems. I don't have any new detectives to train, I don't care how many big cases you've solved - I won't let green detectives train my detectives, and finally I don't take Alces' rejects – clear?"

Nick could feel Judy tense with anger, but spoke first, "Very."

"So, I'm sticking the two of you together as partners while you're here so you don't cause problems for me. Not that I give a damn, but you got any complaint with that?"

Nick wasn't sure if Judy had caught on yet. "No problems, Sir."

"Oh, Wilde?"

"Yes, Sir?"

"Alces tells you're a pain in the ass."

"I try, Sir," Nick responded crisply.

The wolf grinned, "Well, keep up the good work." He gestured to two chairs. "Usually pretty quiet on the night shift, at least here in the First. Third and Fourth have more problems. If things are going slow here and hot there I may loan you out. On really slow nights I've been known to send detectives out with the uniformed officers. We try and stay flexible. Oh, doesn't happen often, but on the rare times when it all hits the fan it will mean all Hell breaks loose since we're understaffed for a real crisis."

"That happen very often?" asked Judy.

"Nope. We can usually guess that certain nights will be bad and plan ahead – matches between the zebra and lion teams can leave fans rioting. Last unscheduled chaos was a big fire a year ago... Called in a lot of officers for that one."

"I think that's the one where Judy and I were out at a restaurant when we were paged to come in."

"Probably," Broadhead nodded. "Doesn't happen often." He looked at the clock, "Let me introduce you to the regular officers and the other detectives before you start your shift. We usually just have two sets of detectives. Any questions for me?"

They'd met a few of the night shift animals before, George Bagheera – who had just married Lylah Nyte – being the officer with whom they were most familiar.

Their second night they gathered evidence at the end of a high speed chase. It was suspected narcotics were been involved, but that would not be certain until the hospital test results came through.

The murder on the third night was so simple it wasn't clear if it deserved the title of investigation. It was act of passion rather than premeditation. The officers responding to a domestic violence call arrived before the killer had any time to attempt and cover the crime, if she even had intended to hide the crime. Once again Nick and Judy were called in to gather the evidence and write up the report.

On their second week of night shift, at eight a.m. as they got ready for bed, Judy yawned, "Raccoon time."

"Pardon?"

"Need raccoons on the night shift. They've got night shifts in their blood."

"I'm pretty sure nocturnal instincts aren't in the blood."

"Hard-wired into the brain or something."

"We're all evolving. How many nocturnal raccoons do you really know?"

"Unfair question, I'm in bed while they're up all night."

"Like Hye and Tom?"

"Well... I still say they're night animals compared to us. We're more morning animals."

"Speak for yourself, Carrot-breath. I'm a noonish animal. I'm at my best if I can sleep until eleven."

"And I still say instincts count for... And then you say something about my instincts should have me running away from you. And I admit you're right, then you take me in your arms, do that thing to my ears that makes me all hot and bothered and we crawl into bed, make passionate love, and sleep blissfully until the alarm goes off, right?"

"We've only been married a few weeks and we've already fallen into a rut?"

"No. A rut implies something dull and boring. A routine or habit can be a pleasure. Unless you find making love to me boring."

"Would this be a good time for me to take you in my arms, nuzzle your ears, and tell you I find you incredibly sexy?"

"I think it would be an excellent time."

* * *

**Author's Note**: The story The Ghost of Smokey Joe hasn't been written yet. Chronologically it will fit right after Busman's Honeymoon and before this... Assuming Smokey Joe is ever written. I have ideas for stories that don't get written. Both Duke and his grandmother (an old-time mobster now living in a retirement home) figure into both the ideas I have for The Ghost of Smokey Joe. It is that inability to decide on direction which would work best that keeps the story from being written.


	2. The Eve of Destruction

Boilerplate Disclaimer: The various characters from the movie Zootopia are all owned by Disney the great and powerful. Any and all registered trade names property of their respective owners. Cheap shots at celebrities constitute fair usage.

Barry McGuire released 'Eve of Destruction' in 1965, with one meaning. It has taken on a new meaning, which some deny – insisting they are too smart to believe in science... But I digress.

**Eve Of Destruction**

The shift started quietly enough. Nick and Judy arrived at the First and found no assignments waiting for them. Judy checked email and considered reviewing the reports they had filed the previous week. Nick went into the break room to continue his plotting to discover a way for the station to produce a better cup of coffee, which did not require him to invest any of his own money.

When Nick returned to the bullpen Judy had a report up on the screen. "Do you really think you're going to find anything worth correcting?"

"I won't know until I look. It wouldn't hurt you to do something constructive."

Nick shrugged, "True." He wandered over to the copy machine and pulled out a few sheets of paper before returning to his desk.

A few minutes later Judy glanced over, "Uh, Nick? What are you doing?"

"You suggested I do something constructive."

"I know what I said. I'm asking what you're doing."

"Constructing paper airplanes."

"That's constructive?"

"Well, I'm not deconstructing paper airplanes. In school I could always make an airplane that would fly further than Eric or Truckie's. I want to know if I've lost my touch."

"And that's your idea of constructive?"

"As constructive as agonizing over whether a comma has been omitted in a report that's already been written, approved, and filed. Oh, and I lied."

"You're not making paper airplanes?"

"I'm making paper airplanes, but mine weren't always the best. Truckie usually won. Deep thinker. I'm pretty sure he cheated and did research."

Judy sighed. Part of her wanted to grab a sheet of paper and make her own paper airplane. But if Captain Broadhead were to walk by she wanted to be seen working.

When did the problem start?

As in all things the secret lies in defining terms. What does 'problem' mean, and how does one define 'start'.

Animals scheduled to work the night shifts, with alarm clocks set for 11:00 p.m., did not awake when their alarms went off. In many cases they were single individuals, so their failure to awaken went unnoticed. The inability for an animal to awaken was noticed by family members who were still awake. It caused limited worry, but a few weeks earlier a similar thing had occurred which had covered a few square blocks and only lasted an hour.

Calls to the hospitals, asking what to do if someone wasn't waking up began about 11:15. The night shifts at the hospitals were unable to keep up with the call volume.

The first news reports went out on radio and television broadcasts a little before 11:30. Engineers scrambled to find recordings of the interviews with experts on the phenomenon.

"Turn on the television," shouted Broadhead.

One of the two other detectives on the night shift turned on the old set in the corner of the room. It was tuned to a news station. The police usually knew the news before it was broadcast, but on occasion they wanted to see how the media would present a story.

Nick and Judy joined the other detectives and the captain in front of the set.

The panic began soon after the news reports. The earlier incident had only covered a few city blocks and lasted one hour. Animals in ambulances had awakened once outside the small area of the phenomenon. This appeared to cover the entire city of Zootopia. It had been less than an hour since the phenomenon had been noticed, so broadcasters urged animals not to panic. Telling an animal not to panic induces panic. Nervous family members packed sleeping loved ones into the family car and tried to drive a few blocks, hoping they would awaken. They didn't.

Animals still awake feared they would succumb to the sleeping sickness and decided to flee the city. Further encouraging flight was the stroke of midnight, when sleeping animals failed to awaken. This time it would not last just an hour.

Around 11:20 the hospitals recognized they had a problem – they were understaffed for the number of calls coming in, and didn't have sufficient ambulance crews to answer the calls requesting family members be brought to the hospital for testing. Around 11:45 the fire department realized the potential for disaster. While fire animals staffed the stations at all times the animals working night shifts often took advantage of cots in the stations and slept until a call came in. When the animals who were awake heard the news reports they tried to rouse their sleeping co-workers, without success. If any fires began the fire department would be unable to send out full crews. By 12:15 the police realized the minor traffic problems were no longer minor, they had a major traffic crisis on their hands.

Zootopia, or virtually any city, only has a small percentage of its population awake at midnight. Roads are seldom busy. Traffic signals have been switched to blinking red (stop, then go if there are no oncoming cars) or blinking yellow (slow down and use caution). The drivers attempting to flee the city were unwilling to either use caution or stop.

At first it was merely the two main roads heading south from the city, and the major road headed east, snarled by drivers desperate to get away from the city. An incident of road rage here, a careless driver there, and soon the major roads were impassable as the police sought tow crews able to reach the accidents. The traffic jams and accidents soon spread to the smaller roads and streets, and the police began to realize the scale of the crisis. The radio and television stations were able to broadcast good, and bad news. Those animals who had made it out of the city with a sleeping spouse and/or child called the Zootopia media to report family members were awakening. They weren't precisely sure when it happened, the estimate was somewhere around fifteen kilometers, but no one was certain. Animals would awaken if removed far enough from the city, good news. But it made those animals trapped in traffic jams more anxious to flee the city, and their willingness to engage in even riskier behavior to get away caused even more accidents.

The night captains at precincts throughout Zootopia sent out a call for all available off-duty officers to report for work. Very few were able to respond, far less than was necessary given the size of the crisis.

"And it's going to get worse," Nick warned Captain Broadhead.

"Worse than this? How?"

"A couple weeks ago Judy and I heard a rumor, someone was planning the biggest robbery in the history of Zootopia. It was a rumor, and so crazy we didn't believe it. I think this is it."

"What were they planning to steal?"

"Everything."

"Everything? What the hell are you talking about, Wilde?"

"There was an attempt to recruit an animal we know, an informant Judy and I know. He was told anything in the city was up for grabs. It sounded so impossible, or so dangerous, that the animal we know turned down the offer. Anything was what he was told. They could kidnap animals if they wished, steal art, antiques, anything they wanted."

"You didn't mention this to anyone?"

"There were no details, just a crazy story! Would you have told anyone?"

"I... I don't know. But there are no reports of robberies."

"Yet."

"Shit. Even if there isn't some kind of gang there will be looting by animals who're awake. And if there is an organized gang..."

"Don't know I'd call it organized. If they're trying to recruit shady characters at random... I'm guessing someone got his or her hands on some way of keeping people asleep once they're asleep and decided it had criminal potential. There was something more than a month ago when an animal didn't wake up even when his wife dumped water on him. They talked about it when there was that area of town where animals wouldn't wake up. The one that covered a few blocks lasted an hour. Those were tests. I'm betting this one is going to last a lot longer."

"And by 'longer' you mean?"

The fox shrugged, "Who knows? Long enough that our resources are stretched too thin to be effective."

The captain tapped his claws on the desk nervously. "Okay, maybe not organized. Someone invents device... Probably the animal behind this. If it were stolen the inventor would have come to the police – unless he or she was killed by the thief. But that random trying to recruit shady characters for the... Inventor doesn't know thieves and hoping to bring in as many as possible... Probably demanding a percentage from everyone doing the looting."

"That would make sense."

The wolf sighed, "This is big... Too big. I'm going to try to find someone awake in city administration. I sure as hell don't want the hot seat if and when this breaks... Hell, we're short now for traffic problems. Maybe I can call the fire department... Captain Black might have some animals to... No way he'll help the police."

"I've worked with Black, he's–"

"He's got his job to do. And has his territory marked. If a fire breaks out – or your gang sets a couple fires as a distraction the fire department had better be able to stop it before the whole city goes up... Find someone in administration... Call the other precincts... Call the media... Your opinion, asking for volunteers to direct traffic more likely to help things or make them worse?"

Nick mimed tossing an imaginary coin in the air, he caught 'it' in mid-air, slapped 'it' down on the back of his left paw, then raised his right paw and pretended to look at the 'coin'. "Heads. Was that make it better or make it worse?"

"Thanks, Smart-ass. Oh, you just caught lead."

"Lead on what?"

"The whole thing. Find out what's keeping animals asleep. Find out who's behind it. Find a way to wake up Zootopia. And, given how understaffed we are, you and Judy are it for the investigation – at least for now."

"That's impossible! The science guys looked at the one thing for weeks and–!

"I know. But I have to put someone on it to get things started. I'm desperate here. We're all desperate here. We're understaffed in the middle of... In the middle of something big, and going to get bigger if this is what you heard about. I'd give you fifty officers if I had them. I don't. You and Judy are... I don't know if it's dumb luck or you two work miracles. And frankly, I don't care. If you can figure something out to end this, Hallelujah. If you can't you'll still be the animal in charge of the investigation after it's over – and inventorying everything that gets stolen in the city. Now get out and start thinking. I got calls to make. Oh, news said towns ten or twenty kilometers out weren't effected?"

"Yeah."

"I'll ask one of the other captains to call the police there. I feel like a panhandler begging change, asking other towns to come loan us officers."

It was not a happy fox who returned to Judy.

"What's wrong, Nick? You look like roadkill."

"Feel like it. I've got lead on sleep thing. Biggest thing in the city in years and it's you and me, Babe."

"How are we supposed to–"

Nick took a deep breath. "We're tired and stressed. And it's going to get worse. Let's try and not slug each other. Let's try and not slug anyone. There aren't enough officers to assign to the case. There aren't enough officers to assign to anything. And if this is the thing Duke warned about it's going to get even worse. Broadhead has a ton of responsibility on his plate. He had to put someone on it, or his ass would be in a sling when it's over. He knows we haven't got a chance. But... I don't think he's setting us up to fail, he's knows we don't have the resources to solve this under the circumstances."

"I won't slug you," Judy promised. "And it's your lead. But how about we try and think of something – anything."

"Always the optimist, aren't you."

"It was why you fell in love with me, remember?"

"Seemed like a good idea at the time. Where do we start? The science guys didn't figure it out and there were tons of them."

"We start by throwing out the ideas they proved didn't work. It isn't gas. It wasn't anything in food or drink. That's two weeks of work we don't have to bother with right there."

"Hmmm, you are good. How well did you follow their work? Did they prove that animals who were awake when it started didn't go to sleep? But all sleeping animals remained asleep until the thing was over?"

"All the evidence said that. I think we need to make that assumption and hope it doesn't come back to bite us."

"No, in some stupid way I guess it would make sense. It's like some switch got turned on that didn't affect animals who were awake. Once you went to sleep..." They both glanced over to a desk to their left. One of the other detectives had nodded off. Once asleep his partner could not waken him.

"So," Judy mused, "like some giant ray gun that keeps people asleep? Radio or television waves of some kind? I think the science guys tried to find if there was a helicopter up over the blocks where it happened before, but there was no evidence... I mean, no one heard one. It might have been too low for radar."

"Could be... Too low for radar, and maybe everyone was too distracted to notice or remember."

"Oh," Judy suddenly exclaimed, "we've got an advantage the scientists and doctors didn't have?"

"We're working with each other?"

"That too. But they had no animals to test theories on. It was over before they could start their investigation."

"That's true," Nick admitted slowly, "but how does that... We get to test things that they didn't!"

"Bingo. Now, assuming it's some ray or wave, could we isolate an animal from radio waves? Is there some kind of room stuff like that can't penetrate?"

"I'm sure there is, but there's such a huge spectrum of electromagnetic stuff... Research lab at the Zoo U? Hospital maybe? Some business testing lab we've never heard of? That's no good – no way to find it right now. Television or radio stations might have some kind of room like that to make sure there's no interference. Hospital might be our best bet."

"I'll call them, although the news report is they're swamped with calls. Maybe we should head over."

"And get caught in a traffic jam? And if they've got nothing you've wasted drive time there and back. Wait on hold. I'm going to Oogle™ ways to block radio waves, and anything else I can."

"But not the construction of paper airplanes."

"Right. No paper airplanes until this is over."

The rabbit spent a long time on hold. Judy told the hospital switchboard she was with the police. It didn't impress them. She told them she was Judy Hopps. Under normal circumstances she didn't like playing the celebrity card. These were not normal circumstances. She was told three animals claiming to be Judy Hopps had called already. She told them she and Nick had an idea for waking up sleeping animals. That got the hospital's attention. Yes, the hospital had a small isolation room that might serve the purpose, it had been designed to screen out a wide range of wavelengths that might interfere with the testing for which it had been constructed. "Will it screen out everything?" The animal she was speaking with didn't know if that was even possible. Neither did Judy. But the isolation room was designed to stop everything the engineers could imagine in its construction.

"Can you put a sleeping animal in there to see if it will awaken them?"

"Uh, no."

"No? Why not?"

"Hospital rules. We can't do anything without the patient's informed consent, or that of a person with legal authority to allow a procedure."

"This is an emergency!"

"We have to follow the law!"

"That's... Okay, I respect that. If Nick Wilde and I showed up with a sleeping animal, could we take him into the isolation room?"

"You would not... I'll have an orderly show you the room. The orderly will be called away. The hospital will not be responsible for what you do."

"Good enough."

"You really think it will work?"

"Don't know. Maybe. Won't know until we try."

"How soon can you get here?"

"I don't know. We've got a sleeping detective here. We may load him in a car... He's sort of big. Maybe we'll ask the fire department to provide an ambulance. Who do I ask for when we get there?"

"Ask for Nancy Smithers. She's in charge. I'll tell her what you said and... She can call back on this number if there's a problem?"

"Yeah, but I hope to be on my way soon."

Nick looked up as Judy ended the call. "Sounds like they've got something."

"Yep, we don't know if this'll work, but call the Fire Department and ask if–"

"WILDE!" bellowed Captain Broadhead.

"Hold that thought. A sweet voice calleth," Nick told her as he headed for the wolf's office.

"We've had no luck finding an administrator," Broadhead told him. "The other captains said I should assume authority. No fucking way I want that. Pardon the language. I told them we have a former top administrator awake here, a former mayor, and–"

"May I quote you?"

"No, you may not. You were mayor."

"For like a month! It doesn't count"

"The city needs someone with authority to coordinate the–"

"And I don't have any! Ex-mayor. The ex- means not no more, no way, no how! Besides Judy and I need to test an idea on waking animals up."

"Seriously? The best scientists in the city were–"

"Working after the fact. No animals to test ideas on. The hospital has an isolation room of some kind that–"

The captain was equally excited and skeptical, "Think it'll work?"

"No idea, but we've got to try. We're going to call the Fire Department and get an ambulance to take Hal in and–"

"Think we could take the Mayor in?"

"Why?"

"Someone with authority to handle things, remember?"

"If you're looking for someone to cut a ribbon opening a new library you get Lionheart. Wilma Deering, the city manager, is the animal to handle a crisis. That's kind of like kidnapping to break in to her apartment, and–"

"You know her. Would she want to be awake for this?"

"Yes."

"Well, if you won't take the reins of government you'll take orders. You said an apartment?"

"Yes."

"Maybe they have a night manager... You're calling the fire department for an ambulance? They may have someone handy with picking locks – they need to get into places in emergencies and I don't know if they just smash the doors down or not."

The sound of a siren could be heard in the distance as Nick returned to Judy.

"I called the fire department," she explained. "They seemed excited to try and help."

They realized just how excited three minutes later when a bear pushed open the door.

"You're here? Aren't you–"

"This is priority, if it works," Captain Black told Nick. "Hopps said you're taking in some detective?"

"We can load him too, but change of plan, we're going to see if we can bring Wilma Deering and get her awake to coordinate first responders. The ambulance takes two, right?"

"Then forget the detective, I've got one of my top animals loaded in the ambulance already."

"Oh, I don't know if her apartment will have a night manager who's awake. You know how to open a locked door?"

"No, not me personally, but I have animals who do. What's the address? I'll have one meet us there."

The city manager's apartment building had a night manager, an opossum working on an apoplectic fit – torn between wanting to flee the city and responsibility to the building's owner. He wrung his paws and stammered nervous questions about how long the sleeping sickness would last as he let them in. Black had requested the nearby fire station send a female driver for the ambulance. He feared that, when the crisis was over his ass would be on the line if the city manager had questions about her treatment while asleep.

"And if she's in bed with someone, none of us see anything, right?" commented Nick.

"Oh, my goodness," the possum exclaimed, as he fumbled with his key ring before opening the door, "I must respect the tenants' privacy."

"Emergency," the bear said bluntly, "open the damn door."

Judy and the tanuki went in first, "Find clothes," Judy ordered the males.

"Why, is she..."

"She's in pajamas. She doesn't want to handle a crisis in pajamas."

The bear and fox opened a closet door and stared at the clothing inside. They looked at each other. They looked back into the closet. They looked back at each other. "What do you wear to an emergency?" Nick asked.

"You're married. You pick something."

"I'm a newlywed. What do I know about what females wear? Aren't you married?"

"Twenty-seven years."

"Then you–"

"Wilde, I'll let you on the facts of life. No male ever understood his wife. Whatever we do is wrong."

"Then it doesn't matter. Let's just grab some stuff and get out of here."

"Good thinking. You grab."

"You've got bigger arms."

"I outrank you. Grab."

They joined the females, who had loaded the deer onto the gurney. Judy looked at the number of outfits in Nick's arms, "We don't need to bring that much."

"We couldn't decide what the well-dressed city manager wore for an emergency. She can pick."

Judy simply rolled her eyes and began to push the deer on the stretcher out of the apartment. Downstairs the rabbit and the tanuki loaded the sleeping deer into the ambulance.

Twelve minutes later two gurneys were being pushed through a narrow corridor in the hospital basement.

"This isn't used much," the orderly apologized. "I'm not even sure why this was built. It had to be a testing lab or something." They stopped in front of massive looking door. "Okay, here is where I was told to remember I have a job I need to do somewhere else, and remind you that hospital regulations say don't go in there."

"We can't go in?" Captain Black asked, confused.

"Hospital regulations require informed consent or someone with legal authority," Judy explained. "We've got neither, but maybe Ms Deering can order it done if we can wake her. I'll take her in and–"

"No," the bear told her. He pointed to the sleeping cheetah on the other stretcher. "Doesn't sound like this can harm anyone, but we'll test him out first, just to make sure it's safe."

The bear pushed the gurney in himself, and told Nick to close the thick door behind him. A minute later the bear and a confused looking cheetah walked out of the isolation room. "Bring out the stretcher," the bear ordered his subordinate. "City manager is next."

Judy pushed in the sleeping deer, and the tanuki brought in the clothing.

Inside the isolation room, a minute later the startled deer, looking as if by blinded by headlights, gasped, "What... Where am I? Judy Hopps?"

"You're in the hospital. Remember a couple weeks ago when they couldn't wake some animals up?"

The deer nodded.

"It's the whole city. It's been going on a couple hours and we have no way to tell when it will end."

"What time is it?"

"About two in the morning."

"No wonder I'm... What's being done?"

"Do you mean what the police are doing? Animals who're awake are trying to flee the city and the police are trying to–"

"Let me get dressed," the deer told her, "and keep talking."

In the corridor outside the isolation room the males looked nervously at each other. The cheetah had only needed a minute to wake up. Was the city manager still asleep? Why didn't the females tell them something?

Nick cracked the door, "Is everything–"

"Close the door! She's dressing!"

Nick quickly shut the door.

Four minutes later the trio came out of the isolation room. "Captain Black. Your plans?"

"Well, since we know this works I want to start bringing in fire fighters to–"

"Good. We may need to assign some to traffic details."

"But we need the stations fully staffed in case of fires!"

"Lovely theory. We can't afford to have animals sitting on their tails to handle a hypothetical problem when there is a real problem on the streets outside. If it's too bad out there you won't be able to get a truck to a fire. Coordinate with the captain at the Second, I'm told he's in charge of the traffic crisis. Tell him to assign fire-fighters near their stations, you will need to respond fast if a fire starts."

The bear nodded agreement without arguing further.

"Nick? You and Hopps will drive me to the First, I'll work from there."

"But City Hall is–"

"Locked up tight. First has video monitors." She pointed to the tanuki, "Call the radio and television stations. I have a press conference there in half an hour."

As they went out to the car Judy mentioned, "He's Nick, and I'm Hopps?"

"I know him better. He's my ex-, remember?"

"Any chance I could be promoted to Judy?"

The deer smiled, "I'll try and remember that. Meanwhile, I'll try to wrap my mind about becoming dictator."

Her words made Nick nervous, "Uh, I'm, ah, sure a dictator is what the city–"

"Didn't have a history minor in college, huh?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Dictator didn't start as a bad word. Dictator was a temporary appointment to streamline government in a time of national crisis. Emergency came up, it was easier for one animal to handle the problem than having the legislature debate forever. Crisis over, dictator stepped down. Nice theory, and it worked at first. Then you had idiots who made themselves dictators by declaring national emergencies that really didn't exist and trying to keep the power. Judy made it sound like wanting an administrator in a crisis was why you woke me up."

"Okay. I can–"

"Tell me what you've got as we drive. The two of you are really the only animals working the sleep angle?"

"You know things are bad if Judy and I are the only two."

The deer managed a nervous chuckle. "Well, you're off to a great start. How did you figure out the isolation room angle?"

"Well, we know it can't be gas, so–"

"I liked the gas theory. How do you know it's impossible? I figured some gas that only affected animals who were asleep."

"The isolation room was designed to keep out electromagnetic stuff."

"It might have been cut off from... Hopps, er, Judy, call the fire department. They have oxygen equipment. Put a mask on a sleeping animal, if he doesn't wake up you can consider gas impossible. What's the electromagnetic wave idea?"

"Just an idea. The science guys thought gas, food, and water were unlikely. Something like radio waves seemed like a thing we could test."

"Okay, a possible theory for how. You proved the whatever-it-is can be stopped. So, radio waves?"

"Don't know. That bunker would stop all kinds of stuff."

"Any idea who might be behind it?"

"Hey, give us a break, we were just handed this a–"

"Sorry, I'm just feeling overwhelmed."

"So are we."

"Any sense of why?"

"Yeah," Nick muttered. "Bad news on that." He described the possible theft scenario.

* * *

Wilma Deering left the threat of widespread robbery out of her news conference. Looting would likely to be an issue, even if there wasn't a gang planning widespread robbery. Talking about it would only put the idea in some animals' minds even sooner.

The fact she had been awakened was hailed as a breakthrough, and animals were encouraged to try and develop some sort of isolation space in order to awaken family members. Two television stations cooperated on setting up a website to share information on ideas that worked, or didn't work, to save time for the home inventors.

Judy was introduced as the animal in charge of the investigation on what was happening, and who was behind it. Another chat site had been set up for animals to send in tips, as well as a number where they could be texted. Ninety-nine percent of what would be sent was rubbish. It was easier to read it and move on to the next email or text message than try and get someone who wanted to chat, but had nothing to say, off the phone.

"Does this mean Judy has lead now?" Nick asked hopefully when the press conference ended.

"No, you're in charge. I won't over-ride Broadhead."

"But you said–"

"Nick, I love you like an ex-boss. But everyone loves Judy, with the possible exception of the Bellwether gang. You pissed off a lot of animals with your run for mayor. Those who liked Leodore were mad you beat him. Those who hated him were angry when you resigned and he became mayor again. Telling the city you're in charge just invites crank responses."

"And we'll have too many of those as it is."

"Exactly."

Around three-thirty police and firefighters had the roads out of the city relatively clear. Most of the animals trying to escape had made it out, and traffic volume going out had slowed.

Traffic wanting to come into the city became an issue.

Animals from outlying towns claimed they wanted to volunteer to Zootopia in the crisis, or they simply wanted to gawk – unable to believe the news. It was suspected that many were potential looters.

The precinct captains, Black of the fire department, and Wilma Deering had an emergency conference call.

"Close the city to incoming traffic," was the opinion of the captain of the Second.

"We need volunteers, especially if looting starts," countered the captain of the Fourth. "We need the fire department staffed too."

"Not much good they'd do us," Black snorted. "You got to know the equipment in our business."

"And we don't?" fired back the captain of the Third.

"Everyone take a deep breath," Deering instructed the animals. "Zootopia has called for volunteers. Some of these animals are police officers. We could use help."

"Stop all cars coming in," suggested the captain of the Second. "Ask to see badges."

"Let's not rule out other animals being able to help," countered Broadhead. "But ask for IDs, and take pictures and paw-prints. Say we're only looking for serious volunteers. I doubt potential looters want to leave paw-prints on file."

Deering nodded, "I like it, anyone have a problem with that?"

At five a.m. it would have been impossible to declare the city was 'normal', but things appeared to be in balance. The small number of police officers seemed capable of handling the small volume of traffic. There had been a few instances of looting the police had been able to respond to. Home inventors had not yet found a method of blocking whatever prolonged sleep. Twenty-four hour coffee shops were doing a thriving business.

And then it all hit the fan. Video cameras all over the city went dark. Alarms sounded from all parts of the city. A few cameras, still working, showed cloaked animals throwing bricks into store windows to set off alarms. And half of those cameras then lost power as well, leaving a skeleton force of police with a thousand alarms to answer and no visual information.

* * *

**AN**: Rome created the office of dictator for rapid response to national emergencies. Google Cincinnatus to see it done right. So Ohio named a city for him. No towns of Sulla or Marius, the two who started the problem of strong men declaring themselves dictator to handle fake national emergencies and gain more power.


	3. The Animal Who Wasn't There

Boilerplate Disclaimer: The various characters from the movie Zootopia are all owned by Disney the great and powerful. Any and all registered trade names property of their respective owners. Cheap shots at celebrities constitute fair usage.

Hughes Mearns isn't remembered. He should be, but he isn't. However, a poem he probably wrote is remembered. The poem/song was used in a play he wrote in 1899, and later published under the title 'Antigonish', but is remembered as, 'The Man Who Wasn't There'. Glenn Miller and his Orchestra recorded a swing version in 1939: The Little Man Who Wasn't There, although I'm partial to Mildred Bailey's recording.

_Yesterday upon the stair_  
_I met a man who wasn't there  
_ _He wasn't there again today  
_ _I wish, I wish he'd go away_

**The Animal Who Wasn't There**

Police are trained not to panic in a crises. Trained. The best training in the world can not guarantee success in all circumstances. Most of the city asleep. Exhausted police officers, whose shifts were normally almost over, needed rest. But hundreds of alarms were sounding throughout the city even as video feeds from traffic cams were extinguished.

"Conference call!" shouted the city manager.

The faces of the precinct captains were visible on the computer screen. "I've got no idea," she confessed. "Suggestions?"

"Pull all police off traffic details. Start trying to arrest the animals setting off the alarms. We know they're trying to confuse us before they start robbery. Why didn't Wilde say something about this earlier?"

"Wilde had no details. It sounded like a crazy rumor," retorted Broadhead. "You expect your officers to report every crazy rumor they hear?"

"Getting back to the problem," the deer reminded them. "Leave the fire department in charge of the streets?"

"Could the fire department be deputized to–" began the captain for the Second.

"No," three animals answered at once.

"They aren't authorized to use firearms. Some of those animals may be armed and dangerous."

"And we need them able to respond if there are fires."

"The areas where the fire department is handling traffic can be extended, but the city can't afford to take them too far from the fire stations."

"And let me remind you we aren't the police," Black stated firmly. "It's not our job to make arrests."

"Hopefully just seeing your officers on the streets will keep the looters from some locations," Wilma Deering told him. "No reason to think they're looking for confrontation. They don't know if you're serving as police or not so they probably won't give your animals any trouble."

"Do we send out officers to respond to the alarms, or... We ain't got enough officers to respond to all the alarms. If every officer in the city was awake and on duty we ain't got enough to respond to all the alarms."

"Send out officers to cruise the streets and look for perps, or just station officers by banks, jewelry stores, and other attractive targets?"

"Just letting the small businesses be looted?"

"Like he said, we don't have enough officers to respond to everything!"

"Well we need to do something rather than hunkering down and giving them free rein!"

"We got no idea how they're operating! This could have grouped together and be a gang of two hundred! They may be three hundred animals working alone or in pairs."

Deering, not sure what to do, took a fast vote of the precinct captains. The vote was to have officers cruise the streets looking for thieves and trying to assess the size and location of groups, if they encountered looting parties too large to confront without backup.

Judy requested that she and Nick also go out on patrol.

"No."

"But the city's in trouble! You don't think Nick and I can really figure it out."

"This crisis is too much for any one animal, or any two animals, to solve everything. You and Nick have your job to do. This will end eventually," Deering assured her. "And the sooner we know the who and how the closer we are to arresting the guilty. You've already had a breakthrough. Perhaps some hot tip will come in."

Judy returned to Nick, who was busy studying the computer monitor, "She won't let us go out."

"Didn't I tell you that she wouldn't?"

"You've been wrong before. Not often, but you have been wrong."

"But not on this. She probably thought you were trying to duck out of facing these crazy tips we're getting."

"Anything of value?"

"Not sure. I got a couple... Let me cover the microphone." He removed the microphone he was wearing and made sure his talk with Judy wasn't accidentally posted as text to the chat room. "Got three or four nerds, or science geeks, or something, who're having a debate among themselves. One is insisting it can't be electromagnetic. I was saying that was just our working theory, and that we've had animals we were able to awaken in that hospital room. He says it probably kept out other stuff too, but can't really explain what 'other stuff' he means. Meanwhile some real science guy and some amateur buy the electromagnetic wave theory, and are making suggests on how to block the wavelengths. Anyway–"

"If they have ideas on blocking the rays they should put them on that television chat board for animals to try."

"Good point." Nick paused in his explanation to post a suggestion they send their ideas to the forum for ideas on waking other animals.

**N3rd4**: It won't work. I'm teeling you it can't be electromangetic!

**SciGuy**: Then what is it, if you know so much? And you misspelled telling and electromagnetic.

**ProfJoe**: We all make typos. Can't find a good keyboard for my pause. But if N3rd4 had a theory he should explain it.

**N3rd4**: Thanks for the – did you do pause for paws on purpose? I'm just sayying it shouldn't be so hard to block electromagentic waves.

**SciGuy**: Depends on the wavelength. I mean, clearly it isn't the visible spectrum that you can cut off by pulling the blinds, but there is a lot of electromagnetic spectrum out there.

**N3rd4**: But they can all be blocked, right?

**SciGuy**: Yes, but some are easier to block than others. The fact the hospital isolation room worked is a powerful argument.

**ProfJoe**: But he has a point, it could have blocked other phenomena as well. I'm trying to find something unusual with my instruments, but I'm getting nothing.

**SciGuy**: And don't make a comment, Nerd, if it's a wavelength we don't recognize we might not know how to search for it.

**N3rd4**: Don't putt words in my mouth. What I was going to say is if you are right would it have to be some unknown wavelength? What if its something you know, but the volume it crakned up to twelve or something?

**ProfJoe**: That's an interesting point. I'm skeptical of the idea. I feel like we've done enough research on known frequencies and wavelengths that we would know if one affected our sleep. But I'll see if I can detect anything unusually poweerful.

**N3rd4**: Of, detectives?

**Wilde**: Yes?

**N3rd4**: You realize whoever is doing this probably watching this chatroom right? If the Prof finds something should he tell you here?

**Wilde**: Hopps says that if he finds something we want the whole city to know as fast as possible so we can block it. And maybe the animals behind it will panic and it will end sooner.

**N3rd4**: Judy Hopps is there? Really? Tell her I think shes hot!

**Wilde**: You heard that we're married now.

**N3rd4**: Shes still hot.

**ProfJoe**: And on that note I'm back to the lab to see what I can find.

**N3rd4**: Wilde? are those really the spcks for the hospital isolation room up on the media board?

**Wilde**: Yes

**N3rd4**: What were they testing. That place must be bomb proof?

**Wilde**: Could be. Don't know why they built it.

**SciGuy**: But it would sure stop any electromagnetic waves!

**N3rd4**: It will stop about anything! It doesn't proev anything!

**SciGuy**: Don't have time for this now. Signing out. I'll see if I can detect anything unusual.

"Well," Judy demanded as the chatroom fell momentarily silent.

"Well, what?"

"Are you going to pass on the message that I'm hot?"

Nick raised an eyebrow, "I'm sort of stressing out at the moment. You really need to hear that?"

"Sorry. Lot of pressure on you. Anything I can do to help? Cup of coffee?"

"Sorry. Didn't mean to snap. Coffee would be great. I need coffee. Not that swill in the break room."

"Would I be more help reading chat room tips over your shoulder or going down the street and getting you a to go cup?"

Nick managed a smile. "I'd kiss your feet for a big cup of coffee – or any other portion of your anatomy – your choice."

"I'll take a rain check on the that until we're able to get some sleep... Some sleep where we feel confident about waking up."

Nick turned back to the chat room as Judy went for coffee. A couple conspiracy buffs were currently proposing some nonsense about a government conspiracy and fluoride in drinking water keeping animals from waking.

Every available officer had gone out in answer to the five o'clock alarms. The results of their efforts were absolutely nothing. The streets were too dark to see much, but it appeared there was no effort being made to rob any business. Streets, at least those streets where the alarms had sounded, were deserted as far as the police could tell.

"What happened?" the captains asked each other in a conference call as their officers reported back.

"Could they have set the alarms so we'd head to those locations, but they're robbing other parts of town?"

"Without setting off alarms where they are?"

The police were able to reset some alarms. Other alarms could only be reset by the owners of the store, who were home asleep.

Nervous officers drove randomly through the streets of Zootopia, wondering what they were facing – a huge gang working together or a horde of individuals and small groups? And wondering where the animals who had set off the alarms, and what were their plans?

The animals in on the plan had probably slept through the day before. Perhaps they had even used the sleep technique to assure they were well rested before the city was put under the sleeping spell. They could afford to wait a little longer, put the police under more stress. Ratchet up the tension. If that was their plan it was working.

At six it began all over again. Since very few of the traffic cams were still functioning the police had no visuals as alarms which had been turned off were once again triggered. The streets where alarms sounded were spread out across the city. Alarms went off in smaller businesses that were not affected the first time around, as well as the banks and other businesses where alarms had gone off before. Dozens, hundreds, of alarms in the heart of the business district, but also alarms in the strip malls, the stores in small neighborhoods throughout the city, gas stations...

"Bloody Hell!," the captain of the Third swore. "There's gotta be more than fifty of them to set off that many alarms at once, all over the city."

"Probably more than a hundred," muttered the captain of the Second. "Enough low-lifes and petty crooks around that it could be a thousand."

"I think we'd have heard more if there were that many involved," voted Broadhead. "There are enough informants out there that we'd have heard rumors."

"Unless they were like Wilde and sat on it," the Second's chief shot back. "There may be twenty officers sleeping peacefully who thought the thing sounded too crazy to bother reporting."

"Detective Wilde is doing his best, we all are," Wilma Deering told them firmly. "Respond to the alarms, again. Maybe we'll catch a couple this time – with luck we may get one to take an offer of reduced sentence for cooperation. Because any animal convicted will be going to jail for a long, long time."

Once again all available officers responded. Once again the streets were largely deserted when the police arrived. The animals setting off the alarms had simply set them off, then retreated to unknown locations. Three armadillos breaking into an appliance store were apprehended.

Initially they all denied having anything to do with the sleep gang. Their denials were to be expected.

They were given a picture of the eternal gates of damnation if they failed to cooperate, and a promise of reduced sentences if they cooperated. They all agreed to cooperate. That was also expected.

The three were also questioned separately, and their contradictory accounts made it obvious that none of the three knew anything about the plan to rob the city while it slept. The promise of reduced sentences had made them willing to talk, but they had nothing of value to say.

"What the hell is happening?" the captain of the Third asked at the six-thirty conference call. "And are the rest of you getting calls from the radio stations?"

"We all are," Broadhead assured him. "Everyone wants to know what happening."

"It's just... just weird," represented the opinion of the captain at the Fourth. "There has to be a reason for this sleep thing. Robbery seems the most likely possibility. But they set off alarms and hide. It makes no sense. It's crazy!"

Wilma Deering let out a slow, worried sigh. "We need to assume not crazy. It may be an army of petty crooks who've been recruited, but there is someone with brains behind this, someone smart enough to invent a method of keeping animals asleep and clever enough to see its criminal potential. So, why set off alarms and go into hiding? To see how many police can respond? To see how fast we respond? To try and discover more about our capabilities than we know about theirs? And that is very, very scary. Maybe they're looking for a pattern they can exploit. The crooks setting off the alarms may not be the brightest animals in Zootopia, but somewhere in the background is an exceedingly dangerous animal." The city manager called through the door of Broadhead's office, "Judy! Have a minute?"

The rabbit was at the doorway in seconds, "Yes?"

"Anything promising with the home inventors?"

"Nothing that's been posted. They're probably busy trying to build isolation rooms."

"I hoped posting the details on the hospital's room would help."

"It might, but that was professionally constructed and took months to build with specialized materials. The average animal doesn't have that kind of stuff laying around the house."

"No harm in hoping. Maybe there was some material that... We'll see. And nothing useful on Nick's tip line?"

"Well, we've got some animals trying to find anything different from usual with radio, television, cell phone signals and things like that. Everything has been normal. Some animals think whatever is causing it is electromagnetic – but outside everything we know. Some animals think we need to scrap that theory and look for something else. Nick is trying to contact sleep specialists in other cities, see if any of them know of any researchers who were working in prolonging sleep. He figures whoever came up with this must be some kind of expert in the field."

"Seems logical. Any luck with the animals he's spoken to?"

"They're all fascinated by what's happening, and a couple are in their cars and coming in to the city. Don't know if they can contribute much or not – but they might provide a breakthrough."

"Good."

"Oh, Nick tried to see if he can figure out where the transmitter or whatever might be located. We've got the approximate location where animals wake up on the South and East highways."

"Excellent."

"In theory. We don't have exact locations for where animals are outside what ever this is, so he had to sort of make an approximation. But no matter where you put the wake up points in the reports you end up plotting a circle so big you have to put the center out a hundred kilometers or more in the middle of nowhere."

"That would make sense if they want to make sure we can't find it."

"Maybe. Except that when he called out to a little town in the area near the middle of nowhere he woke up an animal who was asleep."

"He still needs to work the angle. Maybe the animal he talked to was a plant for the gang who just claimed the phone call woke him up."

Judy doubted that was the case. Calls to a couple other towns that would be affected, if there was a powerful central transmitter broadcasting in all directions, had been answered as well, with animals complaining of being awakened. They could not all be plants. Clearly problems were appearing in the electromagnetic wave theory, although at the moment they had nothing to replace it with. "Since we think it was some sleep researcher who came up with this, I'm reviewing the tapes of interviews with the sleep specialists the television and radio stations made a few weeks ago. I'm hoping maybe someone made some kind of slip when talking with the media."

"Sounds like the two of you are doing more than I could ask."

"We're doing our best."

"I think all the animals in the police and fire departments are doing their best. Let me know if there's anything I can do to help."

Ten looters from five different locations were arrested in the sweep at seven. Once again, none appeared to be associated with gang behind the sleeping. Two of them were from outside Zootopia.

"Told you we should block the roads into the city," grumbled the chief at the Second.

"For all we know they were here before it started, and we've had a dozen police officers come in to help.

"Twelve officers won't do much–"

"It's twelve more than we had," Deering told him firmly. "The city needs all the help it can get. And he's right, we don't know when they arrived. We do need to publicize that all vehicles coming into the city are being stopped and IDs checked. It may discourage outside looters."

"And we omit the part that animals have been looting, it will just encourage more local thieves," was the opinion of the Fourth's captain.

"No, we tell the media about the arrests."

"But–"

"First, censorship brings its own set of issues, which includes the rumors being worse than the reality. We lose the trust of residents. The media are cooperating with us, they need know we're on the level with them. They want Zootopia safe as much as we do. And we play up the fact that looters are being arrested, it might discourage some animals who decide this would be a great morning to pick up a new television. Oh, a question, do any of you doubt that the gang is watching the patrol cars and making notes how we're doing? They may even be entering the numbers of the patrol cars into a data base to see how many police are out there."

No one argued with the idea.

"We tell the media that officers from other towns have come to Zootopia to help. We don't give numbers. Send the twelve out with regular officers. Park the cars that have been used, take different patrol cars out of the garages, go to some different areas where officers won't be recognized. Let's try and create the image we're better prepared and there're more police than they realized."

Captain Broadhead felt gratitude towards Nick for suggesting Wilma Deering be awakened to manage the crisis. She was good; she inspired confidence. A couple hours earlier he'd felt like the police were being beaten at every turn. With Deering at the helm he felt like the police were back in the game. The question that remained, however, was how long the game would last. Nick and Judy had enjoyed some amazing successes in the past, he hoped they had a little luck left for this case.


	4. Bad Times Just Around the Corner

Boilerplate Disclaimer: The various characters from the movie Zootopia are all owned by Disney the great and powerful. Any and all registered trade names property of their respective owners. Cheap shots at celebrities constitute fair usage.

During WW II everyone in Britain was under orders to be cheery. Lyrics urging you to, "Keep your peckers up," appear in many songs, to the amusement of Americans. (It would be translated, into American, as, "Keep your noses up," or paraphrased as "Keep your chins up," in American idiom.) With the war over, and gloom allowed to return, Noël Coward wrote There Are Bad Times Just Around the Corner.

_There are bad times just around the corner_  
_There are dark clouds hurtling through the sky_  
_And it's no good whining_  
_About a silver lining_  
_For we know from experience that they won't roll by_

**There Are Bad Times Just Around the Corner**

The seven o'clock round of setting off alarms had resulted in the police arresting ten animals, although none seemed associated with the gang. The police paired the few additional volunteer officers from outlying towns with members of the Zootopia force and sent them out in different squad cars in hopes the gang would be forced to show their hand sooner.

"Time is on their side," the city manager reminded the night captains of the various precincts. "They've had more sleep. The effectiveness of our officers is going to diminish as exhaustion sets in. This game they're playing, to add stress, isn't helping. If we can make them think that the longer they wait the more officers we'll having coming in from other places to help out it may force them to act."

"Another round of this at eight?" asked one captain.

"Probably," another answered. "But our officers remain on the streets. We've already arrested thirteen miscellaneous looters and we know there are a lot more out there."

"I'm not sure they'll wait for eight," represented Broadhead's opinion. "They want to lull us into expecting a pattern. Maybe eight. Maybe after having done their vandalism runs to set off alarms at five, six, and seven they'll vary it – wait until nine, or start in at seven-thirty."

"With daylight we can see them better, but that goes both ways. They can see us. They've probably mapped out lines of retreat before this ever started. Start robbing a place, leave a lookout who reports seeing a patrol car on its way, and those inside are gone when we get there – off to hit the next place."

"Unfortunately that could be right," agreed Deering. "Do we have any pilots for helicopters?"

"No. There is one scheduled for night duty. It appears he was taking a nap when it started."

"Let's see if any of the television stations have a chopper pilot available. Now that there's light, aerial surveillance could be a big help."

"I'll check on that," the captain at the Fourth volunteered.

"Thanks. One of the out-of-town sleep specialists has arrived and is talking with Wilde and Hopps. I'm not sure if he's added anything to our knowledge. He's examining a detective here at the First who dozed off."

* * *

The goat had added to Judy and Nick's knowledge, although at the moment his contributions didn't appear to be very helpful to them.

"I had no idea there were so many specialties within sleep," confessed Judy.

"Oh, my, yes," the old goat said, adjusting his glasses. "Specialties everywhere. My real area of expertise is sleep deprivation. There is a point where the mind... Well, let's hope this doesn't last that long. How long have the two of you been up now?"

"Eighteen hours."

"Well then, you probably don't have to worry about any serious issues for... Of course, every animal is a bit different in his or her sleep needs. And things like stress will increase the... Under the circumstances I fear stress is an issue you can't avoid."

"Thanks for the obvious," Nick muttered softly.

Judy returned to the more general topic. "Specialties. Could you please elaborate a bit? What are some of the fields of study within sleep, besides sleep deprivation?"

"Well, there are various sorts of sleep disorders. Some animals suffer from narcolepsy, a constant state of being drowsy – sometimes they can drop off to sleep at the most inopportune of moments. I remember–"

"Can this narcolepsy be induced?" asked Nick. "Could that be what's happening?"

"I doubt it. I remember this case where–"

"Other specialties," requested Judy. "Sorry to be abrupt, but this is important."

"I understand. Maybe when this is over. Quite amusing actually. Anyway, more animals have exactly the opposite issue, difficulty sleeping. Some sleep specialists specialize in trying to diagnose the source of the problem. There are a hundred different things which can interfere with an animal's sleep. That doesn't seem to be the issue here. And, of course, perhaps the largest field is animals who try and help animals with sleep disorders get adequate sleep."

"That sounds promising."

"And, of course, there are different approaches to that. It depends on what is causing the problem. Is it something in the environment that can be changed. Will behavior modification bring relief? A colleague told me of a case where–"

Judy coughed softly to gain his attention, "I doubt if behavior modification is at work here."

"No, no... You're quite right." He adjusted his glasses again. "Now, in contrast to the those who attempt to improve sleep through behavioral or environmental modification the largest group is probably those who look for medication to help animals who have difficulty sleeping. The term narcotic means sleep inducing and was originally... Not that it applies here, and the term has fallen out of favor for–"

"I think we just say drugs," Judy told him, " or medication. And the scientists who examined the animals in the prior case basically ruled out anything in terms of gas or food or drink."

"Yes, yes. I heard about that. I'm simply saying that is the largest area where research has been devoted to help promote and prolong sleep."

"Is there anything else?"

"You must remember, my specialty is sleep deprivation. There is a third area for helping animals sleep. It's outside my bally-wick. Sort of a catch-all of unconventional, er, I think they prefer to the term alternative therapies. Hypnosis is in there... I think hypnosis can be ruled out as well. Aroma therapies... That's not the same as gas. I think I heard–

"Have you heard anything about radio or television waves? Electromagnetic waves? Anything like that, that can be broadcast?"

"Well, no. But remember that's outside my area. You need to talk with... We sleep researchers have our own sessions at the Animal Medical Association meetings. You need to talk with Doctor Xerxes Mephiti, he's the program chair for the alternative sleep therapies sessions."

"Could you spell the... Do you know where he's located? If he's asleep here in Zootopia I'm not going to be able to reach him until after this is over."

"I don't know where he might be at the... Assuming he's not traveling he teaches at a small medical college in Beaverton. You've probably not heard of Beaverton, it's a town out–"

"I know of it," Judy assured him. "I coached a team that played against one of their teams. M-e-p-h-i-t-i?"

"Yes. That's it. Do you need to ask me any more questions? I plan to watch what is going on here. The city is something of a laboratory for me to observe."

"We can call you if we have more questions, can't we?"

"Absolutely."

The switchboard operator at Beaverton Medical didn't like giving out the home number for faculty members, but was aware of what was happening in Zootopia from the news and made an exception.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Doctor Mephiti? My name is Nick Wilde. I'm a detective in Zootopia, and... Have you seen the news at all?"

"Yes. It's incredible! Is it as bad as the media is making it sound or is that exaggeration? It seems quite unbelievable."

"It's that bad, maybe worse. Look, my partner, Judy Hopps, and I are working on this. All the evidence points to this being something artificial. And we talked with a sleep specialist who said you're in charge of sessions on weird... alternative methods of getting animals asleep when the AMA has conventions. Is that right?"

"Am I being considered a suspect?"

"Not unless you want to be considered. We're really hoping you aren't. We need to find the names of animals who are looking at new or unusual ways of keeping a sleeping animal asleep. Can you give us the names of animals who would be interested in that?"

"I think every doctor in the AMA would be interested in finding a safe, reliable way to help animals suffering from a lack of sleep to be able to stay asleep. But I assume you mean names of animals who are more actively pursuing the goal or doing research to help animals with difficulty achieving a good night's rest."

"Exactly. Oh, our working theory is something electrical. Radio waves or something like that, electromagnetic stuff."

"I heard something on the news about some sort of isolation room enabling some animals to awaken. Some sort of room with heavy shielding?"

"Exactly."

"Well, I've not heard about any research in that particular area, but it is a possibility. Animals who are working with new approaches sometimes give papers at–"

"Is there any kind of list of animals who've given papers on alternative sleep stuff at the AMA meetings?"

"Yes. I have a data base with the information for the last eight years, since I became program chair. We have a email list so animals attending sessions can sign up and get newsletters. That's even longer. Of course, some of those attending sessions are just there to hear a colleague or friend give a paper, I don't know how much help it will be."

"We're desperate for names to use as a starting point. We're guessing it was probably someone doing research in the field and not some accidental discovery."

"Hmm... I suspect you're right – although I hate to think any doctor would abuse knowledge in that way."

"Oh, supposedly there are different techniques that are tried, stuff like hypnotism or aroma therapy."

"Definitely. A method to help animals get a good night's sleep is the golden ticket we're all looking for. Someone gave a paper at our last meeting about her research on magnets. She's had no success yet, but is still experimenting."

"Is there a chance you'd have the names of animals giving presentations, and maybe titles of their talks?"

"Certainly. It's on my data base. I can send abstracts of the papers as well, and references to any medical journals where they've published their research."

"How soon can you get me the information?"

"Give me your email address. I have the data base on a computer here at home and can get it to you within the half hour."

When Nick got off the phone he told Judy, "Good news, and bad news."

"Which one do you want to give me first?"

"Good news is that we should have a list of possible suspects coming our way – based on the assumption the head of this is some sleep researcher. The bad news is that it is going to be a long list of names."

"Where do we start? You want half the alphabet and I'll take the other half?"

"I think we start by reading what papers they've given, see if anything screams, 'I did it!'. And while some animal could have driven in from Bunnyburrow or Beaverton to mastermind a plot here in Zootopia I think we should begin with those who live nearby."

"Sounds like a plan. Oh, I've drawn up a list of the places in Zootopia which specialize in sleep, and compared it with the animals who spoke with the media after that episode a couple weeks ago. There was at least one animal from every clinic in town except one."

"Curious... Late in the alphabet?"

"Fairly late, Perfect Rest Institute."

"TV and radio stations probably started at the top of the list and called down until they found someone to interview. Or maybe the staff is a crazy fox who doesn't like his picture taken and a rabbit who goes crazy when you shove a microphone in her face."

"I suspect I'm getting over my anxiety attacks better than you're getting over your phobia. Another cup of coffee before your big list hits?"

"Sounds good... I wonder about caffeine pills... Someone may have bennies."

"Bennies?"

"Benzedrine. Wide-awake pills. Speed. It was legal and over-the-counter for years. Truckers loved the stuff, kept them on the road. Take too much for too long and you understand why they made it illegal over-the-counter. Sometimes you don't even need too much too long for a bad result. I hear the stuff is still around, but under the table – and I don't know where. I wonder where there's some legal source and how we get some?"

"I don't like the sound of that."

"Neither do I, but opinions may change in few hours... Think I'll ask about it while I'm waiting for the data base of suspects."

"That sounds... A data base of suspects? The list of suspects is on a data base? Doesn't that sound odd to you?"

"Well, he didn't call it a data base of suspects. It's a list of doctors who've done work in alternative therapies to improve sleep, or have expressed an interest in anything that helps sleep. Which means it's probably pretty much every doctor who has ever had a patient complain, 'Those pills you gave me to help me sleep didn't do a thing'."

The captain at the Fifth had already brought up Benzedrine, and knew of a pharmaceutical company near Zootopia that could send a supply of the little white pills to the police.

"Five sizes, based on an animals weight. We won't be able to give them to any of the smalls working for the force. Judy may just get a half," the city manager told him.

"She's not very happy with the idea."

"Don't blame her. I don't like it either. Does nasty stuff to some animals' hearts. Oh, hospital is waking some animals up... I'm not sure I understand, but some animals need medication on a schedule and it can't be administered with an IV or something. The fire department ambulances will bring in animals who have something required. Any medical procedure that isn't required and can be put off, is being put off."

"Good."

"Oh, did that sleep specialist give you anything good?"

"Uh, not much of direct value, but he gave us the name of another researcher who is sending a list of animals we need to regard as potential suspects."

"How long a list?"

"I don't know. Really long is my guess. Judy and I will see if we can narrow down fast to a dozen or so."

"Good luck. Keep me up to date if you find anything that looks promising. We're understaffed, but I'll give you officers if you find anything solid."

* * *

The next round of alarms went off at eight. And now there were robberies to go along with the alarms. The police guess, that the plan was for places to be hit quickly and the robbers to move on before the police could arrive, appeared to be accurate. But one trio appeared not to have gotten the memo. They either made the mistake of not posting a look-out or the police were closer than the thieves had expected and were able to respond more quickly.

"Who are you?" Wilma Deering demanded of the unfamiliar face on her computer screen.

"I'm the dispatcher here at the Fourth," the mouse squeaked. "Three looters arrested, we think they're part of the gang. The captain is conducting the interrogation."

"Lucky bastard," muttered the Second's captain.

"Do you have a name, dispatcher?"

"Fenton Longtail, Ma'am."

"Any details on the suspects? There have been some other looters arrested, but so far they've all turned out not to be part of the gang."

"I'm not a hundred percent sure. The officers who made the arrests radioed in that they were, and if they were–"

"The captain wanted to make certain he heard what they had to say for himself."

"Yes, Ma'am."

"May I ask why you're on the conference? What if you're needed for your job?"

"Captain trusts my ability to make notes," the mouse explained, holding up a pad of paper. "There is an officer filling in for me on dispatch."

"Very good," Deering told him. "And I imagine we're all thinking more of the interrogation than anything else at the moment, but let's give Mr. Longtail something to report to his captain. Hopps and Wilde have gotten a list of animals involved in research to prolong sleep. Not certain if the news is good or bad. The list is very long. They're trying to narrow it down. Bad as the situation on the streets is, I'd be willing to pull some officers if they can get a couple strong suspects."

"Second that," commented Broadhead.

"In addition to the three arrests, I was told there was evidence robberies are starting?"

"That was what officers saw. Didn't see any in progress here at the Fifth but it appears that way. They may be back in an hour or two and were just testing how strong doors and windows were this time."

"Same here."

"We didn't see any crooks, but found a lot of signs of interrupted robbery. He could be right, it might have just been testing doors and windows. Makes me wonder if that's really who they captured."

They discussed possible ways to dealing with the situation, but to some degree were simply killing time with general conversation, hoping to hear something of the suspects being questioned. Their procrastination was rewarded when they heard a voice say, "Thanks, Fenton," and the face of an unhappy tiger appeared on the screen.

"What's wrong, they aren't part of the gang?"

"They're part of it."

"Uncooperative?"

"That's true, but we got some information from them."

"What's the problem?"

"Heard of multi-level marketing?"

"What the Hell are you talking about?"

"In multi-level marketing–"

"Cut the crap! What did you get?"

"Keep a civil tongue in your head," Deering warned. "Assume he has a good reason to begin where he's beginning. And if I'm right it's not good news."

"Thanks. In multi-level marketing an animal recruits other animals to work under him or her, and they try to recruit other animals to work under them, and those animals try to recruit more to work under them."

"I don't get what this has to do with anything."

"It's basically a pyramid. The animals we caught are way down on the pyramid. They can tell us the name of the animal who recruited them, but they can't report on anyone over him."

"At least we got the name of an animal a step above. That's something. Haul him in and we can get the name of the animal about him. Climb the ladder all the way to the top."

"Sure, in theory. Animal they named as the one recruiting them has three warrants out on him already, and we haven't found him in the last fifteen months. Do you really think we'll find him this morning?"

"Damn."

"Were you able to get any other information from them?"

"Nothing of value. They were told to leave a lookout, and to get into a place and get out fast before the police arrived. Apparently they got greedy at the thought of a jewelry store heist and didn't set a lookout."

"Thank heaven for stupid criminals," muttered Broadhead. "Wish they had something of value to tell us."

"Did you ask them about methods of communication?" Deering demanded. "Are the different individuals keeping in touch? Do they know anything about the police being tracked, and are they getting information on how many police are out there?"

"No information on that yet. We'll keep questioning them. I thought I should report what I had."

"We appreciate that, thanks."

* * *

In the bullpen Judy looked up from the list in front of her, blinked a couple times and stared off into the distance for a minute to give her eyes a rest from the list of names. "Would you think less of me for saying I'm glad those nine doctors are dead?"

"Maybe. Although I think I know what you mean."

"That we can scratch them off the list of suspects."

"Well, as has been said, just about every doctor in the AMA has an interest in helping patients who can't sleep. I'm wondering if they've all attended sessions of the alternative therapies group. This list is impossible. I'm in favor of limiting ourselves to those who've given presentations and attended at least five sessions as a start. Mephiti said sometimes doctors just attend a paper presentation because some friend wrote it."

"I like your idea of cutting down the list, at least for a starting point."

"Oh, and Carrots?"

"Yes?"

"Are we sure we can take those nine off the possible list of suspects?"

"What nine?"

"The nine you said were dead."

"I would assume that eliminates them from consideration."

"We're dealing with a smart criminal here, someone Bellwether smart. She might have faked her death. It happens in detective stories all the time."

"She? You think a female is behind it?"

"Wouldn't it be sexist to assume it's a male? After all, Bellwether was female. Maybe it's that magnet vixen."

"Vixen?"

"A doctor who's experimenting with magnetic therapy to help animals sleep."

"Call me jealous, but you don't get to look at pictures of young, pretty vixens."

"Okay, Jealous, but she's old enough to be my mother."

" I don't want you looking at old, pretty vixens either."

"You are jealous, or you don't trust me?"

"Sorry. Stressed, frustrated, and wondering how long this will last."

"Apology accepted."

"But I'm sure we should look at males. It's a male's turn to be an evil genius this time. I'll look at the nine again, to see if any fall into the category of presenter or regular attendee, but they all sound really dead to me and not faking it."


	5. The Benzedrine in Mrs Murphy's Ovaltine

Boilerplate Disclaimer: The various characters from the movie Zootopia are all owned by Disney the great and powerful. Any and all registered trade names property of their respective owners. Cheap shots at celebrities constitute fair usage.

Harry "The Hipster" Gibson had a career performing from the 1930s into the 1980s. Some think his career suffered a setback when his 1945 'Who Put the Benzedrine in Mrs. Murphy's Ovaltine?' didn't get airplay for the drug reference. Maybe. But his style was hard to put into any category.

_Where did she get that stuff?  
Now she just can't get enough  
It might have been the man who wasn't there  
Now Jack, that guy's a square  
She never ever wants to go to sleep_

**Who Put the Benzedrine in Mrs. Murphy's Ovaltine?**

"I need a break," Judy warned, "I'm tired."

"Bennies are supposed to be here in half an hour."

"I... I don't think I want... I won't take one... Am I wrong?"

"You make the choices for what's right for you. Am I wrong if I take one? I haven't taken the stuff before, but I hear it's effective. But you need something, Carrots, 'cause I need you."

"Coffee? I think I've had my limit. What's that stuff that's supposed to keep you alert for five hours? They sell it at gas stations."

"Alive for Five? I've taken that once or twice. It's, like, mega-mega-mega dose of Vitamin B or something like that. Two thousand times what you need in a day."

"Is that safe?"

"It's for sale over the counter, so they must think so. Let's head for that convenience store a couple blocks over and see if they have any," Nick told her. "My eyes could use a rest."

"Fifty credits for a bottle of Alive for Five?" Judy asked in disbelief at the gas station nearest the First.

The opossum behind the counter shrugged. "My last bottle. Capitalism."

"It's pronounced price gouging," yawned Nick. "And I'm guessing if I go into the back room I find cases of the stuff."

"Well you're not going into the back. This is it. Last bottle. Fifty credits."

Nick took out his badge to show the possum. "Sure I can't investigate you for price gouging?"

"That real? You're a fox."

"And a detective. To which you reply?"

The possum licked his lips nervously. "Hey, it's, uh, supply and demand. I don't got a ton of the stuff, but every animal who comes in today wants it. I'm, uh, rationing it or something."

"Nice try."

"Want two? Free."

"The rabbit needs one. Supposed to be some bennies coming, but the rabbit would prefer vitamin over-dose to Benzedrine."

"They're okaying bennies? I got some of–"

"Keep your mouth shut," warned Nick. "We came in for a bottle of Alive for Five. Benzedrine's still illegal."

"But, Nick, he said he–"

"He didn't say anything."

"He said he had bennies."

"No, I didn't let him finish. You made your choice, you won't take one. We've got a lot of desperate animals in the city. Let them make their own choices about how to stay awake. The stuff was legal for years. A dose probably won't cause real problems, at least that's what I'm counting on." He turned back to the possum. "Twenty-five creds a bottle for Alive for Five. You'll have animals lined up for it. One to a customer so you don't have some idiot buying it all and then charging a hundred creds a shot. Sound fair?"

"I can live with it," the unhappy possum agreed. It sounded the rabbit wanted him arrested and the fox was keeping his tail out of jail. Getting the bennies out of the place after the crisis was over might be a good idea, at least for a month or two.

The police had a doctor dispensing Benzedrine at the First to officers who wanted it. Some, like Judy, chose to pass. Most, like Nick, decided to take the pills.

* * *

During the morning a trickle of refugees continued to leave the city. They had stayed, hoping the mystery sleep would end soon. With no end to the crisis in sight they now chose to leave while alert enough to drive safely. They were asked to call and report exactly where sleeping family members could be awakened. Nick and Judy plotted the data on a map, hoping it would tell them something. Perhaps it did, but the message made no sense. The reports were consistent of the locations on the highways and smaller roads when animals were out of the zone of sleep, but there was no regularity to the blob-like outline the way Nick hoped.

Other animals chose to remain in the city to protect their homes. Some organized neighborhood watch programs with others who were still awake. While the police understood the concerns of the vigilantes they were not enthusiastic about the idea of irritable and armed animals, especially after a bear was shot for the 'crime' of not being recognized as living in a neighborhood. The bear would recover, but the home owner would not be able to protect his property from jail.

As Nick and Judy continued to sift through more than a thousand names of doctors, trying to isolate a list of those doing more active research in helping animals sleep or showing special interest in the subject the officers on the street enjoyed more success in rounding up looters.

On the average morning Channel Four had a news chopper in the air to report on traffic patterns around the city during rush hour. This, of course, was not an average morning. Negotiations for the television station pilot took longer than they should. The police wanted one of their officers in the helicopter to act as spotter and direct the pilot. The television station wanted one of their reporters in the chopper to feed audio and video the station. The police offered the use of one of their helicopters, but the pilot preferred to use the one with which she was more familiar. The police didn't want live feed going out over the airwaves, worried it might tip off any thieves at work. The television station pointed out that their business required them to put the news out as quickly as possible.

But, bottom line, the police wanted a chopper in the air working for them. And the television station wanted the publicity that helping the police during the crisis would give them. Not having a police officer in the chopper also meant another police officer on the ground and able to respond.

If the police hoped the presence of the chopper could be a secret they quickly realized they were wrong. The helicopter made too much noise to avoid notice. But it was fast enough that it didn't matter, fleeing felons could be tracked.

"Go ahead and do live reports," Deering yawned and told the weather animal, currently in charge at Channel Four. "Maybe it'll scare some looters into stopping." She hoped it scared some looters into stopping. There were no exact figures, but the the 'official' guesstimant was that the police were still out-numbered.

The police needed every officer they could get. Fear that the mysterious sleep might harm animals coming to the city had caused the number of volunteers to slow. Four more officers had come in from nearby towns. Airlines were not flying into the city, so volunteers from more distant cities would be slow to arrive, even if they chose to brave the threat and drive. Meanwhile five of the regular night officers had nodded off, two before the Benzedrine arrived and three who had chosen not to take bennies afterward. The fire department had taken them to the hospital's isolation ward and warned them Wilma Deering encouraged them to take the Alive for Five.

Slightly before noon Nick gave the City Manager a status update. "Seventeen animals on our shortlist for suspects. We're guessing whoever is behind this is here in Zootopia and awake to make sure things are going right. Also had four sleep specialists outside Zootopia. We've called the police where they live. Three are where they should be. One is out-of-town and the local constable is trying to see if she's off visiting family. Seventeen animals living here in Zootopia. As you might guess, none are answering their phones, and–"

"There's no need for sarcasm," Deering snapped.

"I wasn't being sarcastic," barked Nick.

"Sorry," the deer apologized, "not in a happy mood."

"I understand. Sorry for yelling."

"Back on track. Seventeen possible suspects here in Zootopia."

"Yeah, and they may not be answering their phones because they're in bed asleep, or because they're out masterminding a day of hell for the city. If we could check on-"

The City Manager held up her hand for silence, "Let me think a minute." She closed her eyes, for a moment. "One of the captains should know a judge who'll be happy to give us court orders, under the circumstances. I'll order the fire department to get him to the hospital and–"

"Why the hell do you want court orders?" complained Nick. "You don't have one to wake up the judge!"

"Let me be clear, Nick. This will be over. You will find the animal behind this. And when you do I don't want his defense attorney whining we violated his client's rights. I want that bastard's hide nailed to a barn door."

Nick nodded in agreement. "I'll find an animal who can unlock doors. Judy and I will serve the papers ourselves."

"Good, 'cause we need every possible officer on the streets."

As they finished checking on the homes of possible suspects Nick noticed Judy yawning and checking her watch.

"I think I'm nearing the end of my Alive for Five. It's been more than four hours."

"That five is not a down-to-the-second thing. You could crash at four and a half hours. You might be good for six. How you feeling?"

"Tired. Not thinking great. Remind me of the four sleep specialists we didn't find at home."

"Magnet vixen is still on the list, the tanuki lurker, sound zebra, and theta wave porcupine."

"You really think one of them is behind it?"

"I have no idea. You?"

"Which one was at the Perfect Rest Institute again? That was sound zebra?"

"Stephen Quagga, right."

"Which one would you put money on, if you had to place a bet."

"Hhhmmm, Patrick Pringles, I guess."

"Why is he your top suspect?"

"Cause I've got no idea what a theta wave is. I know sound and magnetism, but how they can affect sleep makes no sense, and we don't know squat about the tanuki except he likes to listen to papers on sleep research. So I'll guess the porcupine. You?"

"I would have gone with feng shui panda, but he was sleeping at home. If none of these four pan out... My guess? Magnet vixen. Foxes are dangerous. One stole my heart."

"I thought you gave it to him freely."

"Maybe. I'm too tired to remember at the moment. What do we do now? Four animals weren't sleeping at home. It's not proof of anything, we need to know more about them."

"True, and you may have noticed I'm not heading for the First."

"I'm too tired to notice anything. Where are we going?"

"The hospital. I'm hoping there'll be a doctor there who knows some of our suspects and can give us information."

* * *

Irritability levels were high in the conference call between the precinct captains and the City Manager.

"What the Hell is happening? This makes no fucking sense!"

"Watch your language," Deering snapped. "I'm getting tired of telling you to keep it civil!"

"And what fucking difference does it make?"

"If we could focus, please," Broadhead reminded them. "We're all facing the same issues. We've got holding cells filled with looters that we haven't been able to process because we need officers on the street. I think a couple of us have dispatchers trying to get the paperwork done."

"Lost my dispatcher," the Captain of the Fifth told them. "Nodded off half an hour ago. I'm handling dispatch here."

"Looters willing to talk. Have we had any new names of animals they're supposed to give a cut to?"

"Not here." "Nope." "No."

"Does that seem odd to any of you?"

"Not really, A lot of looters aren't talking. Maybe there are a lot more higher-ups we just don't have names for."

"We haven't caught any of the four."

"Again, so what? There are a lot of looters out there we haven't captured. What are the chances of finding any given four? Especially if they're the smarter ones who are supposed to have thieves under them giving them a share. Is there a point to this?"

"Maybe. I mean, the so-called smarter ones wouldn't necessarily trust their recruits to turn over a share of what they steal."

Wilma Deering thought she understood the implication. "You're suggesting the crooks we're capturing may be meant as a distraction? That somewhere in the city there might be some of the higher ups at work."

"Could be. I mean, none of the animals we're catching have the brains to break into a high security vault–"

"Like a bank."

"Like a bank, or jewelers. Have a bunch get in during one of the alarm periods – they've come prepared with acetylene torches or anything else they might need. And while we're chasing the stupid criminals the smarter ones are looting the banks."

"Any evidence?"

"No, but–"

"But we damn well better check it out," Broadhead warned.

* * *

The Channel Four chopper pilot excused himself from reconnaissance duty, being too tired to fly safely. Although the Zootopia airport was closed for the emergency two helicopter pilots from nearby towns flew in to take up the reins. Still trying to keep the greatest number of officers possible on the streets, the police accepted news reporters from two television stations who offered to accompany the pilots.

* * *

The receptionist at the hospital desk looked unusually alert, in Nick's opinion. He wondered what she was on, and why the doctors weren't sharing it with the police. He shook the idea from his head, he was definitely a case for the goat who specialized in sleep deprivation. He reached for his badge, but he and Judy were recognized.

"Detectives! How can I help you?

"Got four doctors we need information on, hoping someone here may know them."

"What are their names?"

"Okay, first one is Marian Fuchs, then–"

"Doctor Fuchs? Would you like to talk with her?"

"She's here?"

"Oh yes. I think she came in right after the news broke. She knew we'd need doctors."

"You know her? What's she like?"

"She's one of a kind, and tough. Let me see where she is... There are some conference rooms on the third floor. Should I page her?"

Nick and Judy looked at each other. If she were guilty, and at the hospital as an alibi, paging her might cause her to run. Or maybe she'd try to bluff her way through the interview. Or maybe... Thinking hurt the few remaining brain cells. "Sure, thank you."

Seven minutes later the vixen enter the room. Some animals grow old gracefully. Some animals fall apart with age. Dr. Fuchs wasn't going down without a fight. Judy hoped she looked that fit at seventy. Nick suspected that if he and the vixen were in a competition to see who could do more ab crunches he would lose badly.

She had been paged to report to conference room 3-14C, but had not been told why. She seemed mildly surprised to see the pair. "Nick Wilde? Voted for you. Quite the trick you played on the city. I'd have stayed home if I knew you were going to put that pompous windbag Lionheart back in office."

"Leodore's not a bad animal when you get to know him."

"I have no intention of knowing the self-important gas bag. But you aren't here to talk about Lionheart. You're here for my opinion on what's happening."

"Sort of, you're one of our suspects."

"To what do I owe that honor? Did I make the short list?"

"We had a list of doctors with an interest in sleep, and–"

"There is no doctor behind this. I don't know who is, but feel confident it is no doctor."

"You think all doctors are good and noble?"

"No. I've heard about the looting. If a doctor discovered a way to insure animals get a good night's sleep he or she would be clearing several million creds a year and be hailed as a genius and world treasure. No, whoever made the discovering is no doctor."

The fox stood with his lower jaw hanging open for a second.

Judy spoke. "But what if there was a problem with the method? What if it caused cancer with prolonged exposure? What if it requires–"

The vixen held up a paw. "Point taken. Hadn't considered that. How did I make the list of suspects? Am I what they call the prime suspect?"

"We got a list of doctors interested in sleep issues from Xerxes Mephiti, which seems to be almost the whole medical profession, and–"

"It is indeed," the vixen agreed.

"For our starting point we narrowed it down to about twenty who attended a lot of sessions devoted to sleep or who had given papers we didn't understand."

"Which was most of them," admitted Judy, "the papers we didn't understand that is."

"What was your magnetism thing?" asked Nick.

"A failure," the vixen confessed.

"But how was it supposed to work?"

"There are all sorts of natural forces in the world we aren't even conscious of," explained the vixen. "We don't think about gravity, or the planet's magnetic field. We believe birds use the magnetic field for migration. I wondered if we might be affected by the earth's magnetic field as well. Three of my early patients appeared to be helped by the therapy and I was more optimistic than I should have been."

"So, the 'appeared to be helped'?"

"My 'successes' were within the placebo effect. If you understand what I mean."

"Give some animals a sugar pill, tell them it's a wonder drug, and they get better."

"Exactly. We're not entirely sure why – and probably shouldn't be looking for just one explanation. Point is, my research didn't pan out."

"We're assuming that whoever is behind this probably lives in or near Zootopia, and is probably awake to monitor how things are going. We had our list of names. With court orders we entered their–"

"You were in my home?" the vixen asked, clearly angry.

"Court order. This is an emergency... And how did you know to head here so quickly? The receptionist said you came to the hospital right after the news broke. How did you know it would last–"

"I didn't," she snapped. "But I suspected animals would panic and the night staff at the hospital would be over-whelmed. Forgive me for caring."

"We're sorry," Judy said, trying to calm the situation. "But this is an emergency and–"

"You broke down my door?"

"We didn't break anyone's door. A locksmith opened doors, we saw if the animal was sleeping. We locked up. There were four doctors in Zootopia we could not account for who had been on our list. Nick thought someone at the hospital might be able to give us information on the four, and the receptionist said you were here. Could we run the names of the other doctors past you?"

"I'm a suspect. Will you believe anything I say?"

"We're all tired, we're all desperate," Nick told her. "We want to find out who and what's behind this."

"I don't think you are," insisted Judy. "Can we run the other names past you?"

"Um... Sure. Who else made the short list? Personally I liked the gas theory, but the news says you've proven it's not gas."

"You know animals will awaken in that shielded research lab?" The vixen nodded her head. "Well we had the fire department try oxygen on sleeping animals. Didn't help. So we figure that rules out gas."

"Sound reasoning. So my magnetic theory got me on the list. Who else do you have?"

"A porcupine who claims that theta waves will–"

The vixen sighed, "Patrick Pringles?"

Judy nodded yes.

"Scratch him off your list. Complete fraud, preying on the desperate and gullible."

"You seem awfully sure."

"I am. That quack got his 'degree' from a box of cracker-jacks."

"I'm curious," confessed Judy, "what is a theta wave anyway?"

"It is a legitimate term in sleep research, that's probably all you need know. His hocus-pocus does not create them, which is his claim."

Nick made a mental note to not cross the porcupine off the list of suspects. Pringles might be a quack, or Fuchs might be expressing professional jealousy.

Judy gave the next name, "We have a tanuki named Yamoto who never gave papers, but attended a lot of sessions. He wasn't home either."

"And, according to gossip that is not surprising."

"What do you mean?"

"The gossip in the medical community is that he is often sleeping in beds other than his own."

"Can you give us any names of–"

"No. I don't repeat gossip. But you might check the names of animals who gave papers at the sessions he attended. Sports medicine is his specialty, if you haven't checked already, but I doubt he could come up with whatever is causing this."

"And, last name of our initial final four, Stephan Quagga."

"Steph? You're oh-for-four. His technique didn't work." The vixen sighed. "It showed real promise. He gave a paper four years ago on his initial work. At the AMA three years ago he was wildly enthusiastic about how his research was progressing. Two years ago I asked him about it, and he told me he had dropped it. I tried to talk with him at a cocktail hour a year ago and I had the feeling he avoided me. He must have been terribly disappointed."

"Or, maybe, his research was wildly successful, until he discovered it caused cancer, or needed dilithium crystals to work, or some other flaw that kept him from becoming a gazillionaire."

"That... He seems like such a nice zebra. I can't believe he would be responsible."

"Did you know he sold his home seven months ago?"

"I don't know him that well. Are you asking if I know the address of his new home?"

"I'm wondering if the money from the sale of his house could have gone into building whatever is causing this."

"I find that unlikely... But then I find this whole situation almost impossible to believe. I'd like to think I'm home having a nightmare."

"And you'll forgive Nick and me," continued Judy, "but we aren't sleep specialists or scientists. He was using sound? Sound usually keeps an animal awake, and we aren't hearing anything."

"Like gravity or magnetic fields there are things which affect our bodies we aren't consciously aware of. Some species can hear sounds as low as fifteen hertz. As you know, some animals can hear sounds that are beyond what other animals can hear. Audiology is not my field, but I believe some animals can hear more than fifty-thousand kilohertz. The body feels sounds below what we can hear, sub-sonic, or above the audible level, ultra-sound. There are medical devices that rely on ultra-sound... Should I really refer to the vibrations as sound if we are unable to pick them up audibly?"

"And Quagga found some sub-sonic or ultra-sonic frequency that helped animals stay asleep?"

"That was what he said three years ago. He was still refining it. I didn't understand all he told me, but it wasn't a single sound, somehow when the two sounds struck an animal's body it was enough to send a signal to the brain saying, "Don't wake up." It wouldn't put an animal to sleep, but if... That really sounds like what is happening now, doesn't it?"

* * *

Conference calls for the City Manager and police Captains had not been upbeat, but this was by far the most gloomy.

"Gangs at work in three of the five largest banks in the city."

"I hope you all realize Nick's call to add small officers is a good idea. Mister Longtail and the other animals who ran reconnaissance for us did excellent work, and it was considerably more dangerous than their job descriptions."

"I'll tell Fenton you said that. But the question is, what do we do?"

"I don't know," Deering yawned. "We've told the animals we've caught they were just being used as decoys, sacrificial offerings, so the higher ups could rob banks. But while a number of have been more willing to talk they haven't had anything more of value to say."

"The greatest financial loss will be to the banks. I say we pull all officers off the streets, and go for the gangs in the bank – greater chance of capturing the bastard behind this."

"One bank, or go for all three? Because it is possible if we divide the officers left into three groups they may not out-number those in the banks, and that's risking the lives of officers."

"And while I've got nothing against banks," another Captain added. "They are insured, and the gangs in there aren't likely to harm anyone. Some of the small business owners aren't insured. And if they're awake and protecting their property we could have more deaths out here. Are we really going to sacrifice the small businesses to protect the banks?"

The argument was giving Wilma Deering a headache. She knew she'd had a few more hours of sleep than the captains, but she recognized she was not thinking clearly. She would ask the animal dispensing medications if she should take another Benzedrine, or just a couple aspirin. She's ask as soon as the current debate was resolved, although she wasn't sure if the current debate could be resolved.

* * *

"So, what do we do now, Carrot Breath?" Nick asked as they left the hospital. They felt like the zebra might be their best suspect, but Dr. Fuchs was not a sound specialist and had no suggests. "Carrots? JUDY!"

"Wha? I... I..."

"I almost lost you."

"What were you saying?"

"Where do we find a sound specialist?"

"At Zoo U, except the professors are probably asleep... Sound engineer at a television or radio station? Even if our engineer doesn't know the answers we need he may know who to contact. There have to be Departments of... Not sound... Departments of..."

"Might be physics."

"That's probably it. How far can sound travel?"

"May depend on... does sub-sonic or ultra-sonic sound travel further than yelling across the room sound?"

"I've got no idea. I'm going to guess at least some of it can travel further or you couldn't... There's no way there's, like, one big speaker someplace broadcasting to the whole city. There must be a bunch of little one... Rented storage places, stuff like that."

"How are we going to find them all? There must be a bunch of them to cover the city... If this is really what's happening. We need to prove there's sound before we look for the source of the sound."

"If there is sound there are probably directional microphones that... Where's the nearest radio station?"

As Judy waited for her phone to locate the station she asked, "Should we tell the animals working on shielding what we think?"

"No. We aren't sure yet, so let's not waste their time. And if we are right let's not alert the crooks."

"Kilometer and a half. Take a left in three blocks."

It was a combined radio and television station. Currently the sound engineer was on the air at the television station. "Voice giving out," croaked the sheep who'd been on the air for ten hours. "Need a rest."

"Well get another animal behind the desk," ordered Nick. "We need to ask him some questions."

"You don't think he's–"

"We're hoping he has information we need. We gotta speak with him.

The giraffe in charge of monitoring social media was pulled from behind her computer and put on air. The sheep who served as regular newscaster fiddled wildly with the camera, trying to get the giraffe's face in the lens and not just broadcast an image of her neck.

The cheetah led them back to the sound booth, and yawned loudly. "What can I do? Any idea how long this is going to last?"

"We don't know how long it's going to last. Got a theory. We need you to test it. And if it's true you can't release the news on the air."

"If it's true we need to let–"

"We don't need to let the crooks know. But first we need to test to see if it's true. Then we need you to... I'm not sure what we need you for, We... JUDY!"

"Sorry... I don't know how long I can keep my eyes open."

"Sound," Nick told the cheetah. "A couple sounds. Too high or too low for animals to hear."

"And that's keeping animals asleep?"

"Best guess at the moment. Can you test for that?"

The technician looked around the cluttered booth. "I guess so."

"Is this booth soundproof? Do you need to go into the studio?"

"Booth was designed to keep out normal sounds." He put on a pair of head phones, "Let me just see if I can... Okay, I've got something strong and weird."

Nick and Judy exchanged an enthusiastic paw slap. "We're cooking!" The rabbit asked, "Is there any way to neutralize a sound you can't hear?"

"Uh, I've got no idea what you're even talking about."

"How far can sound travel? Can you use a directional microphone to find where it's coming from?"

"Look, my job is getting a clean signal out on the air. I'm more of an electrical engineer than a sound specialist."

"Think you could give us a place to find a sound specialist? Some technical college outside Zootopia is what we need."

"Uh, off the top of my head I'm–"

"We'll look it up ourselves," Judy told him. "Directional microphone. See if you can locate where the odd signal you're getting is coming from."

The cheetah moved his equipment to a clear area outside the booth. He put on earphones and held out a long microphone, then began to slowly turn. A smile quickly spread across his face, but as he began to turn away from them it went to a small frown. It was a large frown by the time he faced them."

"What's wrong."

"Three signals. One much stronger, one very faint, and one in between."

"Can you tell us how far away the sources are?"

"I can only tell direction, nothing about distance to source."

"Triangulation," Judy told Nick. "We need two mikes, set apart and–"

"I'm not stupid," Nick snapped, then apologized. "Not stupid, just tired and cranky."

The rabbit yawned, "Tell me about it. I'm not stupid either."

The fox turned back to the cheetah. "And you've got no idea how to get rid of the sound."

"Nope. Not like there's any switch I can throw to turn–"

"YES!" Nick shouted loudly and pumped a fist triumphantly in the air. "That's it!" He grabbed the cheetah and gave the surprised animal a kiss on the lips.

"What?"

"Don't say anything on the air... It'll take a little while to... Maybe half an hour or so there should be animals waking up all over... Generators. Your station has its own emergency generator, right?"

"Yeah, but what–"

"Animals don't wake up, the directional mikes and triangulation will... No, they didn't use portable generators. Too much noise and would have run out of gas."

"What are you talking about?" demanded Judy, still fighting to keep her eyes open.

"Back to the First, fast!"

Back in their car and headed for the precinct Judy complained, "I can't believe you kissed a male."

"Under normal circumstances my lips are yours alone, but he told us how to wake up the city." The mood of elation had Nick more alert than he'd felt in three hours.

"What did he say?"

"Turn off the power to the sound machines. Hospitals, police stations, radio and television stations all have their own emergency generators. Turn off the power in Zootopia for ten minutes and everyone can wake up."

"If the sound machines come back on after the power–"

"Won't matter. Once animals are awake the sound machines don't put you to sleep."

"If you wake up in the ten minutes the power's off," Judy yawned. "If I fall asleep you–"

"Can't kiss you now, Carrots, but you're right. I need to add alarm clocks to my plan. Big red alarms clocks."

Judy yawned again. "Big red alarm clocks" Are you awake enough to be driving?"

"Absolutely!" he began to describe his plan. After a couple minutes he felt surprised Judy said nothing. He looked over and saw her leaning against the car door, fast asleep.

Nick sighed. He needed Judy to help him organize his thoughts. _"C'mon, Wilde, you got all the pieces now. Another hour and I can fall asleep too."_

* * *

"You know who's behind it?" Wilma Deering asked in disbelief, "and how to wake up the city? You did great work!"

"Judy and I... She fell asleep just... It isn't a hundred percent certainty, but I'll give it a ninety-eight. We think a Doctor Quagga developed–"

"Stop talking. I want this on a conference call."

"Sounds crazy," was the opinion of the Captain at the Second after Nick explained what he and Judy thought was happening. "But the whole damn thing seems crazy. The sound engineer confirmed unusual stuff?"

"Yep."

"So how do we find the device and turn it off?"

"That's a slight problem. There isn't one device. I have no idea where they are, but probably all over the city. But there is a way to get them off briefly and wake up the sleeping animals. Get most of the city awake again and they can worry about locating the things and getting rid of them."

"And that is?"

"Cut the power supply to the city."

"Cut the–"

"For, oh, say ten minutes. Places that need emergency generators have emergency generators. We can call and give a warning – just tell the radio and television stations not to broadcast the news. Flip off the power, send out the fire trucks and tell any officers still in squad cars to turn off the sirens as loud as possible and drive as much as possible for those ten minutes – make sure animals wake up. Then the police have the edge, a lot of wide-awake officers and crooks who're getting tired."

"Might work," voted Broadhead.

"We tell the media what's happening, but ask them not to broadcast the news animals are awake – if this works. We don't want to alert the animals in the banks. Media should spend a half hour reviewing the crisis – that will let the animals who're awake know what happened."

"And time for officers to get in uniform and report for duty," grinned the tiger. "Dog, I hope this works."

"Captain Black... Black!" Deering asked.

"Wha...," the bear grunted. "You almost lost me. I'll have every fire vehicle in the city ready to roll on signal."

* * *

Six animals breaking into safety deposit boxes paused in their labor to listen to the sounds of sirens wailing.

"Fire should keep the few officers still awake occupied. Are we in the vault yet?"

"Let me check." The lion left the safety deposit area, and returned a minute later. "Almost. Damn, that thing's tough."

"We needed better tools for this."

"As long as these work we're gold. We've got four more hours to finish and get out. There won't be a cop awake in the city by then."

* * *

"... and that's the plan," finished Broadhead. "Any questions?"

"How long were we asleep?"

"You can figure that out for yourselves, after the raids on the banks. Any questions about the plan? I know this is a little confusing, but we need to work fast. Oh, and Detective Wilde has some important intel – our prime suspect, for example."

The camera swung over to Nick, and caught him in the middle of a huge yawn. "Prime suspect, a doctor Stephen Quagga. He may be captured at one of the banks. Here's what you need even more. The devices keeping animals asleep were turned off when power was cut. We checked, they're back on now that power is restored. Don't know if they're set to turn off at a set time or there's a master switch somewhere. You need to find and disable them. I'm looking forward to sleeping, but I'd really like to wake up. Here's what you need to do after the raids to locate the devices keeping animals asleep." Nick filled in the officers on directional microphones and triangulation.

"And no idea how many of the devices there are?" asked an elephant at the end of his explanation.

"Nope. No idea how much area each covers. Storage units and rented motel rooms are the best guess. My partner and I didn't have time to investigate."

"Got more data on this Quagga character?"

"Detective Wilde is tired," Deering interupted, "as are all the officers who've been up. And in five minutes the media plans to start broadcasting the fact you are awake. You need to roll now!"

As fresh officers scrambled to their assignment the City Manager turned to Nick. "Another Benzedrine? I'd like you awake through the raid, if possible."

"Another cup of coffee or two... Not sure if the caffeine will keep me awake at this point, maybe pressure on the bladder will help."

"You really did a marvelous job."

"Judy and I. Don't leave her out of the equation."

"True. but you're the one who'll be writing up the final report. This will probably turn out bigger than her drug bust for the number of pages you'll need to write."

"And that's my reward for a marvelous job?"

"Part of it... It's going to be awhile before regulations officially change to allow a married couple to serve as partners on the police force and–"

"That again," groaned Nick.

"I'm think the city should run a test to see if a married couple can work effectively as partners, just so the city can see if it's a good idea. Think you and Judy would be willing to serve as test subjects?"

The fox grinned, "Thanks."

"Once you're back in the field, of course."

"What?"

"Captain Broadhead estimates it'll take you a couple weeks to get the preliminary report in for something this size. She'll probably be assigned a temporary partner until then."

* * *

Nick vaguely remembered the conversation with the city manager when he woke up in bed. He wondered what time it was. The bedside clock was blinking twelve, it had not been reset after the loss of power. He managed to locate his phone. It was dead, not having been recharged.

Judy appeared at the bedroom door, "I thought I heard you."

"I've got a headache like you wouldn't believe."

"I bet I would. I woke up an hour ago and took a couple aspirin... I don't think I could look a cup of coffee in the face right now."

"You and me both, Carrots."

"Breakfast will make it better. Take the aspirin and come to the kitchen."

"If it's not a stupid question, do you have any idea how we got here?"

"Not a stupid question at all. Lylah brought us."

"Nyte? She probably–"

"Bagheera, she changed her name, remember?"

"Brain is not back in gear yet. I can't even come up with a snappy line about her stealing, or breaking, or spitting in something while she was here."

Judy rolled her eyes and uttered an exasperated sigh, "The two of you, and by that I really mean you, need to stop this nonsense. She's very nice, and you know it. Oh, and she left a note."

"What did it say."

"Aspirin first. You can look at it while I make your breakfast."

Nick read the note while Judy prepared hash. "They still haven't captured Quagga," he sighed.

"She probably wrote that when she brought us home, that was hours ago. Maybe he was captured in the raid and they hadn't discovered his identity yet."

"Is that what the radio said?"

"I haven't had it on. I didn't want to risk waking you."

"I don't deserve a wife as wonderful as you."

"True."

"Now, if you would be so kind as to turn on the radio..."

Judy reached over and hit the switch. "Done, my Lord and Master."

"Okay, where's the real Judy Hopps. The real Judy would never say a thing like that."

"Wrong, Mister Coffee Breath, I'm perfectly willing to say that, 'cause I know you won't believe it."

"Ah, that's right. Judy Hopps is a tease."

"No. A tease promises things that she won't do. You know I'd do anything for you." She left the stove to give him a quick kiss, which was followed by a long kiss, and then a longer kiss. "Better let go or the hash will burn."

"Let it burn. You told me you weren't a tease."

"And you need a good breakfast for what I have in mind for you... later. How badly do you think our sleep cycles got screwed up?"

"Not sure," he confessed, letting her return to the stove.

"Oh, did you read the whole note? Lylah says I'm working with her for the next week or two as you start the report."

Nick finished reading the note as Judy dished out the hash. "So, essentially no good news for me?"

"How can you say that? You're a hero! Pretty vixens will throw themselves at you for saving the city. Your wife is not around and you'll be tempted to stray. And your wife will miss you terribly. As soon as you get off work she'll probably pounce on you, tear the clothes from your body and insist on making passionate love to insure you don't have the strength to look at another female."

**Author's Notes:**

In my head canon Dr. Quagga was unable to develop an effective machine because of an inability to control the effect. If the volume was too low it didn't created the desired effect of keeping an animal asleep. If the volume was cranked up, if one can speak of an inaudible sound being cranked up, it could not be contained in an effective manner and kept nearby animals from awakening. When it proved impossible to limit the device to a single sleeping animal he began looking for other ways to use the device.

And in the chatroom Dr. Quagga was SciGuy, doing his best to insist it was some sort of electro-magnetic phenomenon rather than some other method.


End file.
